The Significance Of The Class Of K-Distributions

The statistical fluctuations developed by an optical wave, after passing through atmospheric turbulence, have a non-Gaussian nature. The detected optical intensity appears to have two separate time scales of fluctuations. This paper discusses a plausible physical model for the turbulence scattering of an optical wave that would give rise to a two-time scale fluctuation. The K distribution, H-K distribution and I-K distribution are analyzed as to the possible scattering conditions, by turbulence, these distributions represent.