Wave-optical properties of synchrotron radiation

Wave properties of synchrotron radiation (SR) emitted in a bending magnet are analyzed. Starting from exact solutions of the Maxwell equations for the electromagnetic field of the particle in motion, precise analytic expression for the SR phase distribution has been obtained. This distribution is compared with the phase distribution of radiation emitted by a point source, being at rest in the laboratory frame. Strictly speaking, the SR phase distribution over the entire area cannot precisely coincide with that of an immobile point source. Nevertheless, the carried-out calculations showed that they practically coincide within a rather large entrance window area. The theoretical results obtained will allow to accurately describe the SR wave properties. In particular, they may find applications in the SR diagnostics.