Abstract

Based on the theory of the structure of atmospheric turbulence, the propagation of the optical pulses from a point source in the atmosphere, where the refractive index varies randomly, is studied by use of the Rytov method. The mean-square amplitude and phase fluctuations are evaluated for pulse lengths short compared with the time in which the refractive index varies significantly. The results are identical to Tatar-ski results for the continuous-spherical-wave (csw) case. Available data from continuous-wave (cw) and pulsed-laser experiments confirm this conclusion.

© 1971 Optical Society of America

Optical pulses in atmospheric turbulence

C. S. Gardner and M. A. Plonus
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(1) 68-77 (1974)

Temporal-Frequency Spectra for a Spherical Wave Propagating through Atmospheric Turbulence

S. F. Clifford
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(10) 1285-1292 (1971)

Propagation of the Nth-Order Coherence Function in a Random Medium. The Governing Equations

John E. Molyneux
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(2) 248-255 (1971)

Propagation of Mutual Coherence in Turbulent Media Using the Local-Independence Approximation*

Leonard S. Taylor and Stephen Mellman
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(2) 236-241 (1971)

Second Moment of a Wave Propagating in a Random Medium*

Wilbur P. Brown
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(8) 1051-1059 (1971)