Effect of Atmospheric Refraction on a Satellite Optical Communication Channel

Abstract In this study, the effect of atmospheric refraction on parameters of optical radiation propagating through the atmosphere is investigated with account for the optical beam shift at the receiver aperture and a change in the physical length of the beam trajectory in the atmosphere. We report on the results of numerical modeling based on approximations in different models of the Earth atmosphere, which has made it possible to assess quantitatively the optical beam shift in the receiver plane. Analysis has been performed for different wavelengths, input angles of the beam to the atmosphere, latitudes and seasons with account for homogeneity of atmospheric layers in various limits. The importance of taking into account the actual satellite trajectory and atmospheric pressure and temperature profiles as functions of altitude in designing satellite optical communication systems has been demonstrated. Resulting data can be useful for optimization of designing and for the improvement of reliability of optical communication systems in the conditions of variability of real atmosphere.