Modeling Optical Scintillation

doi:10.1117/3.412858.ch2

Book: Laser Beam Scintillation with Applications

Author(s): Larry C. Andrews, Ronald L. Phillips, Cynthia Y. Young

Published: 2001

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.412858.ch2

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

An optical wave propagating through the atmosphere will experience irradiance (intensity) fluctuations, or scintillation, even over relatively short propagation paths. Scintillation is caused almost exclusively by small temperature variations in the atmosphere, resulting in index of refraction fluctuations (i.e., optical turbulence). Theoretical and experimental studies of irradiance fluctuations generally center around the scintillation index.