Interferometric Determination of the Distance Dependence of the Phase Structure Function for Near-Ground Horizontal Propagation at 6328 Å

A triple-beam interferometer has been used to determine the transverse-distance dependence of the phase fluctuations for short, near-ground horizontal propagation paths on a meteorologically instrumented range for typical-day turbulence conditions. Experimental results are compared with the predictions of the $\frac{2}{3}$-power law; it is found that the unmodified Obukhov–Kolmogorov theory does not describe the results correctly, and a considerably lower value for the exponent is observed.