BEAM SPREAD FUNCTION WITH TIME DISPERSION

An analytical model for the beam spread function with time dispersion is modeled and validated against Monte Carlo calculations. The model, which is structured on simple statistical concepts and relies on only first and second moments for displacement, angle, and multipath time, is suitable for describing pulsed laser radiation propagation in nonco nservative scattering media out to tens of scattering lengths. Numeric al examples for marine environments are used to show its robustness an d versatility. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.