Wave Structure Function and Long-Exposure MTF for Gaussian-Beam Waves Propagating in Anisotropic Maritime Atmospheric Turbulence

Abstract

The expressions of wave structure function (WSF) and long-exposure modulation transfer function (MTF) for laser beam propagation through non-Kolmogorov turbulence were derived in our previous work. In this paper, based on anisotropic maritime atmospheric non-Kolmogorov spectrum, the new analytic expression of WSF for Gaussian-beam waves propagation through turbulent atmosphere in a horizontal path is derived. Moreover, using this newly derived expression, long-exposure MTF for Gaussian-beam waves is obtained for analyzing the degrading effects in an imaging system. Using the new expressions, WSF and MTF for Gaussian-beam waves propagating in terrestrial and maritime atmospheric turbulence are evaluated. The simulation results show that Gaussian-beam waves propagation through maritime turbulence obtain more degrading effects than terrestrial turbulence due to the humidity and temperature fluctuations. Additionally, the degrading effects under anisotropic turbulence get less loss than that of isotropic turbulence.

Keywords

• wave structure function
• modulation transfer function
• maritime atmospheric turbulence