Turbulence statistics applied to calculate expected turbulence-induced scintillation effects on electro-optical systems in different climate regions

The refractive-index structure parameter Cn2 is the parameter most commonly used to describe the optically active turbulence. In the past, FGAN-FOM carried out long-term experiments in moderate climate (Central Europe, Germany), arid (summer), and semiarid (winter) climate (Middle East, Israel). Since Cn2 usually changes as a function of time of day and of season its influence on electro-optical systems should be expressed in a statistical way. We composed a statistical data base of Cn2 values. The cumulative frequency of occurrence was calculated for a time interval of two hours around noon (time of strongest turbulence), at night, and around sunrise (time of weakest turbulence) for an arbitrarily selected period of one month in summer and in winter. In October 2004 we extended our long-term turbulence experiments to subarctic climate (North Europe, Norway). First results of our turbulence measurement over snow-covered terrain indicate Cn2 values which are similar or even higher than measured values in Central European winter. The statistical data base was used to calculate the expected turbulence-induced aperture-averaged scintillation index for free-space optical systems (FSO system) in different climates. The calculations were performed for commercially available FSO systems with wavelength of 785 nm and 1.55 µm respectively and with aperture diameters of the receiver of 60 mm and 150 mm for horizontal path at two heights, 2.3 m and 10 m above ground.