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A Theoretical Study of Optical Wave Propagation Through Random Atmospheric Turbulence
Author(s) -
Laussade JeanPierre,
Yariv Am
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs005i008p01119
Subject(s) - intensity (physics) , physics , random field , gaussian , turbulence , wave propagation , refractive index , correlation function (quantum field theory) , function (biology) , statistical physics , optics , mathematical analysis , mathematics , quantum mechanics , statistics , thermodynamics , evolutionary biology , biology , dielectric
A new method for obtaining exact analytical expressions for some statistical functions of an optical wave propagating through a randomly turbulent medium is reported. A power‐series solution of the wave equation (∇ 2 + k 2 n 2 (x))u(x) = 0 is derived for a homogeneous random‐refractive‐index field n (x). Exact analytical expressions are obtained for the average wave function 〈 u (x)〉 and the two‐point correlation function 〈 u ( L , r 1 )u * (L, r 2 )〉, with the added assumption that n (x) is a Gaussian random process always close to unity. The intensity correlation function 〈 I ( L , r 1 ) I ( L ,r 2 )〉 is investigated, and recent experimental results regarding the behavior of the intensity fluctuations are discussed.