EFFECT OF TURBULENT INTERSTELLAR PLASMA ON THE RESPONSE OF A RADIO INTERFEROMETER

We consider the effect of radio emission scattering on interstellar pl asma inhomogeneities, as well as that of diffraction and refraction in terstellar scintillations, on the mean and squared amplitude of the in terferometer response. The squared amplitude of the interferometer res ponse in the cases of weak and strong scintillations is derived. It is shown to be equal to the squared amplitude of the initial visibility function. For weak scintillations, this result is not affected by the source size; for strong scintillations, this holds for sufficiently co mpact sources. We present observational data on the scattering and sci ntillation parameters that affect the interferometer response.