MODIFICATION OF A QUASI-MONOCHROMATIC BEAM SPATIAL COHERENCE FUNCTION THROUGH PROPAGATION IN A 2-DIMENSIONAL KERR MEDIUM

We compute the modification to the transverse coherence length of a quasi-monochromatic intense beam propagating in a two-dimensional Kerr medium as a function of the nonlinear index of refraction, the beam intensity amplitude, and the distance of propagation. We show that the coherence length decreases to a limiting value that is a characteristic of the medium nonlinear index of refraction and of the beam intensity amplitude.