To explore anisoplanatism over horizontal paths a LCS experiment was developed. The experiment operated in real-world conditions over a 3.2km path, partly over water. To compare the results obtained from the experimental data and established theory, we modeled the experimental path via simulation using a finite number of phase screens. The scale and location of the phase screens in the simulation were varied to account for a different turbulence conditions along the propagation path. Preliminary comparison of our experimental data and simulation show that adjacent PSFs are significantly correlated at angles much larger than the predicted theoretical isoplanatic angle.

Date Published: 22 February 2012
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 8246, Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XXIV, 82460N (22 February 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.906546

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8246:
Free-Space Laser Communication Technologies XXIV
Hamid Hemmati; Don M. Boroson, Editor(s)