Abstract

A turbulence chamber (0.78 × 0.23 × 2.59 m³) consisting of ten small electric heater/blowers with an aluminum foil screen and three screens of 2-mm aluminum wire meshes can generate the nearly homogeneous isotropic turbulence within the 0.5 × 0.05 × 2-m³ region at the 0.11-m height of optical measurements. The temperature structure constant squared $C_T^2=52.9{\mathrm{K}}^2{\mathrm{m}}^{-2/3}$ was obtained from the temperature structure function measurements measured by using a differential microthermocouple system. The refractive-index structure constant squared $C_n^2$ at the 632.8-nm wavelength was calculated from $C_T^2:C_n^2=3.00\times {10}^{-11}{\mathrm{m}}^{-2/3}$. The average wind velocity and temperature were 0.41 m/sec and 53°C, respectively. From the power spectrum of temperature fluctuations, the inner and outer scales of turbulence are determined: l₀ = 5.0 mm and L₀ = 6.5 cm. The measured temperature structure function and power spectrum of temperature fluctuations satisfy the 2/3 and −5/3 power similarity laws in the inertial subrange, respectively.

© 1978 Optical Society of America

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