Abstract

Tatarskii’s geometrical-optics model of scintillation has been generalized to include both diffraction and the loss of spatial coherence of the wave as it propagates through the turbulent medium. An estimate is obtained of the amplitude fluctuations that agrees with the results of perturbation theory for ${\sigma }_{\Upsilon }^2⪡1$ and saturates to a constant value of the order unity for ${\sigma }_T^2⪢1$ ( ${\sigma }_T^2$ is the amplitude variance calculated on the basis of perturbation theory). In addition, we have calculated the amplitude correlation function. For ${\sigma }_T^2⪡1$, the amplitude correlation function agrees with the results of perturbation theory and for the Kolmogorov spectrum is characterized by a correlation length of the order (L/k)^1/2, where L is the propagation distance and k is the optical wave number. Conversely, for ${\sigma }_T^2⪢1$ the amplitude correlation length decreases with increasing propagation distance and is shown to be equal to the lateral coherence length of the wave ρ₀(L). In this regime, a residual correlation tail is obtained in agreement with recent experiments.

© 1974 Optical Society of America

Temporal-frequency spectrum of an optical wave propagating under saturation conditions

H. T. Yura
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(3) 357-359 (1974)

Supersaturation: Effect of a high-frequency cutoff on strong optical-scintillation measurements

H. T. Yura
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(9) 1211-1214 (1974)

Irradiance fluctuations of a spherical wave propagating under saturation conditions*

H. T. Yura
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(11) 1526-1530 (1974)

Strong irradiance fluctuations in turbulent air, III. Diffraction cutoff*

D. A. de Wolf
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(3) 360-365 (1974)

Equivalence of two theories of strong optical scintillation

S. F. Clifford and H. T. Yura
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(12) 1641-1644 (1974)