title: Gaussian beams in turbulent media.
abstract: The propagation of a gaussian beam in a turbulent medium is investigated by the geometrical optics method. The correlation function as well as the structure function of the phase fluctuations at two points of an imperturbed wavefront are derived in a closed form in the two limiting cases when the points belong to two almost parallel rays or to two highly diverging rays. It is shown that the focused beams may permit a detailed investigation of the parameters of the turbulence, when the turbulence is inhomogeneous and its parameters are slowly varying functions of the coordinates.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consortini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ronchi