Abstract

The physical model of strong optical scintillation of plane waves is extended to the case of spherical-wave propagation. The spherical-wave amplitude filter function is derived and compared to the corresponding plane-wave result. Specifically, we calculate the spherical- to plane-wave log-amplitude-variance ratio. For weak fluctuations, our results are identical to the results of perturbation theory, with which the spherical-wave log-amplitude variance is less than the corresponding plane-wave result. On the other hand, for strong fluctuations (i.e., in the saturation regime), the plane- and spherical-wave log-amplitude variances saturate to the same constant value. Expressions are presented, in the saturation regime, for the plane- and spherical-wave log-amplitude covariance function and compared with the corresponding results in the regime of weak fluctuations.

© 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)

Theory of saturation of optical scintillation by strong turbulence: plane-wave variance and covariance and spherical-wave covariance

R. J. Hill
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 72(2) 212-222 (1982)

Physical model for strong optical-amplitude fluctuations in a turbulent medium

H. T. Yura
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 64(1) 59-67 (1974)

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

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