Clear-air turbulence effects modeling on terrestrial and satellite free-space optical channels

Wireless communications using free space optics (FSO) are sensitive to atmospheric conditions. Clear-air turbulence can introduce severe impairments reducing FSO channel availability. Radiosounding profiles, available near Rome (Italy) and Munich (Germany), are used to estimate the power scintillation index through a new physical refractive index structure constant model and to estimate scintillation fade statistics for near-infrared FSO. Preliminary qualitative validation is performed using FSO campaign near Munich for both terrestrial and slant links.