Lagrange method and boundary conditions for the intensity correlation functions in turbulent media*

Abstract

An exact functional integral representation for the two-point intensity correlation function was previously obtained by the author for a collimated beam wave by solving the moment equation. The variable functions of integration involved therein can be effectively limited to a set of functions determined so that the entire phase term of the integrand becomes stationary against arbitrary variation of the variable functions, exactly according to the Lagrange variational principle in dynamics. The result is free from any expansion and is presented with a set of unperturbed equations of closed form. When making a formal expansion, it leads to the zeroth- and first-order expressions similar to those obtained by an improved two-scale method. With exactly the same procedure, the three-point intensity correlation and the two-frequency intensity correlation were also obtained.The Lagrange method leads to the ‘equation of motion’ subjected to boundary conditions to continue the phase term from the incident beam wave. The boundary conditions were previously found based on a physical reasoning, while the same conditions are found here purely based an the variational principle. A focused beam wave is assumed for the incident wave, including both spherical and plane waves as special cases.