A review is given of recent investigations of the propagation of laser radiation in randomly inhomogeneous media with large-scale fluctuations of the refractive index. The review is mainly concerned with aspects of the correlation theory of fluctuations of the intensity of radiation traveling over long distances when the effects of multiple scattering become important. Considerable attention is paid to the results relating to the broadening of laser beams and to phase fluctuations. The relatively new, but important in practice, subject of spatial intensity peaks is discussed. Whenever possible, the theoretical results are compared systematically with the experimental data. The analytic methods discussed in the review are applicable to a wide class of stochastic and dynamic partial differential equations and they may be of interest in other branches of physics.

PT Journal Article
TI Propagation of laser radiation in randomly inhomogeneous media
AU Prokhorov A M
FAU Prokhorov AM
AU Bunkin F V
FAU Bunkin FV
AU Gochelashvili K S
FAU Gochelashvili KS
AU Shishov V I
FAU Shishov VI
DP 10 Jun, 1975
TA Phys. Usp.
VI 18
IP 6
PG 826-847
RX 10.1070/PU1975v017n06ABEH004269
URL https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1975/6/m/
SO Phys. Usp. 1975 Jun 10;18(6):826-847