Abstract

The differential equation for the fourth-order statistical moment of the field of a finite beam propagating in a statistically homogeneous and isotropic two-dimensional random medium is solved numerically. Results are presented for the variance and covariance of irradiance scintillations of a Gaussian beam that propagates in a medium with a Gaussian correlation function. It is shown that the range dependence of the variance is highly dependent on the ratio D/l_n (D is the initial beam width; l_n is the correlation length of the medium) and approaches that of a plane wave for large enough D/l_n. An increase in the variance toward the edge of the beam is also manifested.

© 1980 Optical Society of America

Numerical solutions for the fourth moment of a finite beam propagating in a random medium

Moshe Tur
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(12) 2161-2170 (1985)

Propagation of a Finite Beam in a Random Medium*

Mark Beran
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 60(4) 518-521 (1970)

Fourth Moment of a Wave Propagating in a Random Medium*

W. P. Brown
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(8) 966-971 (1972)

Numerical solutions for the fourth moment of a plane wave propagating in a random medium

M. Tur
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 72(12) 1683-1691 (1982)

Fluctuation Distribution of Gaussian Beam Propagating Through a Random Medium

Yasuaki Kinoshita, Toshimitsu Asakura, and Michio Suzuki
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 58(6) 798-807 (1968)