Synthesis of anisotropic optical turbulence at the laboratory.

At the foundation of the problem of light propagation through optical turbulence is the classical Obukhov-Kolmogorov theory. It rests in the requirement that the refractive index fluctuations should be homogeneous and isotropic. These, with other necessary assumptions, lead to the very well-known -11/3-power exponent spectrum on the inertial range; although departures have been found, they are usually associated with partially developed turbulence or its intrinsic intermittency.