An Analytic Expression for the Beam Wander of a Gaussian Wave Propagating Through Scale-Dependent Anisotropic Turbulence

Abstract

Both experimental results and empirical research have shown that the atmospheric turbulence can present the anisotropic property not only at a few meters above the ground but also at high altitudes of up to several kilometers. This paper investigates the beam wander of a Gaussian wave propagating along a horizontal path in weak anisotropic non-Kolmogorov turbulence. Mathematical expressions of the beam wander variance for different types of Gaussian waves are obtained based on the generalized scale-dependent anisotropic power spectrum with the Markov approximation theory. The final model includes two anisotropic factors, which parameterize the asymmetry of turbulence cells, the spectral power law value of non-Kolmogorov turbulence, and other essential optical parameters of a Gaussian wave. Numerical simulations indicate that the variance of beam wander decreases monotonically with an increase in either of the anisotropic factors.