Interconnection of polarization properties and coherence of optical

Theoretical and experimental approaches to diagnosing internal spin and orbital optical flows and the corresponding optical forces caused by these flows are offered. These approaches are based on the investigation of the motion of the particles tested in the formed optical field. The dependence of the abovementioned forces upon the size and optical properties of the particles is demonstrated. The possibility of using kinematic values defining the motion dynamics of particles of the Rayleigh light scattering mechanism to make a quantitative assessment of the degree of coherence of mutually orthogonal waves that are linearly polarized in the incidence plane is demonstrated. The feasibility of using the above mentioned approach, its shortcomings, and its advantages over the interfering method for estimating the degree of coherence are analyzed. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America