Analytical solution to the n-nth moment equation of wave propagation in continuous random media

Higher order symmetrical moments play an important role in wave propagation and scattering in random media, however it remains to be solved under strong fluctuations. In this paper, a modified Gaussian solution method is proposed for analytically solving the n-nth moment. After propagating through a random medium in the fully saturated regime, the higher order symmetrical moment of the received wave is the sum of products of the second moments, i.e., the Gaussian solution. In strong scattering regimes, the higher order symmetrical moment can be considered as a sum of the Gaussian solution and a non-Gaussian correction term, where the key issue is how to solve the derived equation of the correction term. Two methods are proposed, i.e., Green's function method and the Rytov approximation approach. Green's function method leads to a rigorous solution form, but it is complicated due to an integral equation. The approach using the Rytov approximation is found to be reasonable, as the correction is relatively small.