Over-the-horizon optical propagation in a maritime environment

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and wave propagation
• Atmospheric physics and chemistry
• Optical and radio wave propagation

Background:

• Over-the-horizon (OTH) propagation is crucial for long-range communication.
• Marine atmospheric aerosols significantly influence radio wave propagation.
• Characterizing OTH propagation requires understanding aerosol interactions with electromagnetic waves.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally and theoretically characterize over-the-horizon (OTH) propagation through marine atmospheric aerosols.
• To validate theoretical models against experimental pathloss data.
• To assess the impact of aerosol scattering on OTH signal transmission.

Main Methods:

• Conducted pathloss measurements at 1.06 and 0.53 micrometers over two distinct OTH links.
• Developed and applied two theoretical models: single scatter and multiple scatter.
• Compared experimental pathloss data with model predictions for a 63-km OTH link.

Main Results:

• Experimental pathloss measurements showed good agreement with both single and multiple scatter theoretical models.
• The models accurately predicted OTH propagation characteristics over the shorter 63-km link.
• Quantitative comparison for the 128-km link was limited by meteorological data availability.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully characterized OTH propagation via marine aerosols.
• Both single and multiple scatter models provide reliable predictions for OTH propagation in marine environments.
• Further research with comprehensive meteorological data is needed for extended OTH links.