Matrix of correlations between the gradients of the phase of the light wave as a way to measure the principal parameters of turbulence

The diffraction of a light wave by fluctuations in the refractive index in a turbulent medium leads to its distortions. Their analysis allows one to extract the main parameters of turbulence. In this paper, we propose a new method based on measurements of the correlation function of the gradients of the light wave phase, which allows us to independently find the Fried parameter $r_0$ and, then, the outer scale of turbulence $L_0$. The method has been successfully tested on measurement data obtained during the passage of laser radiation through a gaseous medium with artificially created turbulence.