On the propagation of polarization in conical refraction (Q1118771): Difference between revisions

Let P(x,D) be an \(N\times N\) system of classical pseudo-differential operators of order m on a C manifold X. Denote by \(p=\sigma (P)\) the principal symbol of P and let det p be its determinant. Put \(\Sigma =\{(x,\xi)\in T^*X\setminus 0\), \(\det p(x,\xi)=0\}\) and \(\Sigma_ q=\{(x,\xi)\in \Sigma\), \(d(\det p(x,\xi))=0\}\). The system P considered in the paper is of conical refraction type at \(w\in \Sigma_ q\) i.e. the following hold near w: a) \(\Sigma_ q\) is a nonradial involutive manifold of codimension 3, b) det p\(=e\cdot q\), where \(e\neq 0\) and q is a real valued with Hessian of rank 3 and positivity 1, c) dim Ker p\(=2\) on \(\Sigma_ q.\) Let \(\pi_ C\) be the quotient map of \({\mathbb{C}}^ N\) onto \({\mathbb{C}}^ N/Im p(w)\) and let \({\mathcal N}_ P=\{(w,z)\in (T^*X\setminus 0)\times {\mathbb{C}}^ N\), \(z\in Ker \sigma (P(w)\}\). The author introduces an invariant definition of real and complex polarization over the conical set \(\Sigma_ q\) as follows: Definition. Let \((w,z)\in {\mathcal N}_ P\), \(w\in \Sigma_ q\), then we say that (w,z) is a real polarization direction for P if \(\pi_ Cdp(w)(z)\in N^*_ w(\Sigma_ q,{\mathbb{C}}^ N)\) has one dimensional kernel, here \(N_ w(\Sigma_ q)=T_ w(T^*X)/T_ w(\Sigma_ q)\). If the kernel has dimension 0, (w,z) is said to be a complex polarization direction for P. In his earlier works the author showed that outside \(\Sigma_ q\) the polarization propagates along Hamilton orbits. The present paper deals with the propagation and distribution of polarization sets of the above P over \(\Sigma_ q\). It was proved that the set of real polarizations is foliated by limits of Hamilton orbits. When the polarization is complex, the author defined a complex Hamilton orbits and (under certain additional conditions on their curvature) gets propagation of polarization along these orbits. There are also described other modes of propagation (when the line bundle is not tangent to a limit or complex Hamilton orbit). The whole theory is well illustrated by Maxwell's system in homogeneous media.