The Efficient Outer Scale of Atmospheric Turbulence

We discuss some possibilities of introducing the distortions of an optical wave phase, propagating along vertical atmospheric path, as an integral characteristic, describing the turbulence along the path. Several models of the turbulence outer scale profile have been analyzed as well as the structural characteristic of the atmospheric refractive index fluctuations in order to find the value of the efficient outer scale. The error in the Strehl ratio determination was estimated. This ratio was computed using the efficient outer scale and compared to its value computed by the model profile of the outer scale.