DIFFUSION OF RAYS IN A MEDIUM CONTAINING RANDOM OBLONG INHOMOGENEITIES

The propagation of an underwater sound wave in an inhomogeneous ocean is investigated. The model of the inhomogeneities is typical of underw ater sound channels: two-dimensional objects situated in the plane of ray propagation and elongated in the direction of the longitudinal axi s. The dynamic causality and dual-scale conditions are used to derive a Fokker-Planck equation for the probability density functions of the coordinates and angles of propagation of a ray. The numerical solution of this equation shows that rays are deflected mainly in the directio n where the characteristic correlation scale of the inhomogeneities is smaller.