RESUMEN
Experimental data are presented that demonstrate the evolution of the anisotropy/isotropy of atmospheric statistics throughout the course of four days (two winter, two summer) near the ground over a concrete runway in Florida. In late January and early February of 2017, a 532 nm near-plane-wave beam was propagated 1 and 2 km at a height of 2 m above the runway, and irradiance fluctuations were captured on a CCD array. In August of 2017, a 532 nm Gaussian beam was propagated 100 m at a height of near 2 m, and fluctuation data were captured on a CCD array. Winter data were processed to calculate the covariance of intensity and summer data processed to calculate the scintillation index. The resulting contours indicated a consistent pattern of anisotropy early in the day, evolving into isotropy midday, and returning to anisotropy in late afternoon. Accompanying atmospheric and wind data are presented throughout the measurement days.
RESUMEN
Experimental measurements were recently made which displayed characteristics of plane wave propagation through anisotropic optical turbulence. A near-plane wave beam was propagated a distance of 1 and 2 km at a height of 2 m above the concrete runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, during January and February of 2017. The spatial-temporal fluctuations of the beam were recorded, and the covariance of intensity was calculated. These data sets were compared to a theoretical calculation of covariance of intensity for a plane wave.