Atmospheric turbulence chamber for optical transmission experiment: characterization by thermal method.

A turbulence chamber (0.78 x 0.23 x 2.59 m(3)) consisting of ten small electric heater/blowers with an aluminum foil screen and three screens of 2-mm aluminum wire meshes can generate the nearly homogeneous isotropic turbulence within the 0.5 x 0.05 x 2-m(3) region at the 0.11-m height of optical measurements. The temperature structure constant squared C(2)(T) = 52.9 K(2) m(-?) was obtained from the temperature structure function measurements measured by using a differential microthermocouple system. The refractive-index structure constant squared C(2)n_{at the 632.8-nm wavelength was calculated from C(2)(T):C(2)(n) = 3.00 x 10(-11)m(-?). The average wind velocity and temperature were 0.41 m/sec and 53 degrees C, respectively. From the power spectrum of temperature fluctuations, the inner and outer scales of turbulence are determined: l(o) = 5.0 mm and L(0) = 6.5 cm. The measured temperature structure function and power spectrum of temperature fluctuations satisfy the ? and -5/3 power similarity laws in the inertial subrange, respectively.}