In order to measure the diffusion coefficient of a heated plane airstream, a single laser beam is passed through the jet, perpendicularly to the flow direction. The thermic turbulence in the airstream causes random fluctuations of the refractive index. Consequently, the beam direction undergoes, in the flow, random perturbations. After having traversed the jet, the beam produces a luminous trace on a photoelectric cell placed outside the jet. An experimental setup for measuring the probabilities of the beam impact positions on the cell is described. From the Markovian process model, applied along the whole random path of the beam, it has been possible to compute these probabilities by solving the Einstein–Fokker–Kolmogorov equation. The diffusion coefficient can be determined by adjusting the numerical solution to agree with the experimental results. In addition, the calculation procedure gives the order of magnitude of an integral scale, characterizing the dimension of the turbulent structures in which the propagation of light can be considered rectilinear. A good agreement between the results and the published data obtained by means of the cold-wire anemometer technique proves the validity of the method.

Abstract-The paper describes the propagation of a thin laser beam which passes through a hot turbulent jet, perpendicularly to the flow direction, using geometrical optics approximation. From the modelling of the random propagation direction of the laser beam along its whole path, the diffusion coefficient of the turbulent jet is determined by means of a shape optimization technique in which a genetic algorithm is used. The results obtained from the GA are then improved by the Golden Section method.

Abstract-The propagation of waves in a random medium is a very complex phenomena which presents numerous difficulties in its experimental approach, and in its theoretical analysis. In this work, the case of a laser beam direction during its random propagation through a hot free jet of air, is considered using geometrical optics. Some experiments are done in the jet and from the hypothesis of the Markovian process, the main stochastic characteristics of the laser beam direction are studied. In addition, the sensitivity of the probability density of the beam random direction with respect to the jet turbulent diffusion is determined.

Abstract-This paper is devoted to a laser-based diagnostic technique described as a method for solving an applied inverse problem in turbulent media using laser beam propagation. This problem consists of extracting local information about temperature fluctuations inside a hot turbulent jet of air, from the luminous photodiode trace produced by a laser beam, after having traversed the jet. A genetic algorithm is implemented in order to calculate the optimized laser beam directions corresponding to the whole luminous trace. An approximated ray equation which is proved from the geometrical optics is solved numerically by using those directions and enables to determine the variance of temperature fluctuations along the whole path of the laser beam. A good agreement coming from the comparison between the results obtained and the published experimental data proves the validity of the method.

Abstract-In the view of measuring directional fluctuations of a thin laser beam sent through a heated turbulent jet, an optical method using interference and diffraction with the out coming beam is proposed. The experimental set-up is described. A new technique for separating directional fluctuations of the laser beam is explained. From the measurement of the interference pattern perturbations, are deduced the Rms of the laser beam deflection angle, the spectrum of directional fluctuations of the laser beam, and the value of a scattering coefficient characterizing the heated turbulent jet. The measured spectrum reveals a −8/3 power law and the value obtained for that coefficient is nearly equal to that found in previous works. This agreement enables to conclude that the experimental technique used is efficient and satisfactory.