Characteristics of a partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model beam propagating in slanted atmospheric turbulence

On the basis of the extended Huygens—Fresnel principle and the model of the refractive-index structure constant in the atmospheric turbulence proposed by the International Telecommunication Union-Radio Communication Sector, the characteristics of the partially coherent Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beams propagating in slanted atmospheric turbulence are studied. Using the cross- spectral density function (CSDF), we derive the expressions for the effective beam radius, the spreading angle, and the average intensity. The variance of the angle-of-arrival fluctuation and the wander effect of the GSM beam in the turbulence are calculated numerically. The influences of the coherence degree, the propagation distance, the propagation height, and the waist radius on the propagation characteristics of the partially coherent beams are discussed and compared with those of the fully coherent Gaussian beams. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)