Abstract
During two separate field tests (July and September 2009) the performance of a free-space optical (FSO)
communications link was evaluated in the maritime environment off of the mid-Atlantic coast near Wallops Island, VA.
During these two field tests, a bi-directional shore-to-ship data link was established using commercially available
adaptive optics terminals. The link, which ranged from 2 - 22 km (optical horizon), was established between a lookout
tower located on Cedar Island, VA and a Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory research vessel. This
paper presents statistical analysis of the power-in-the-bucket captured from two detectors placed alongside the adaptive
optics terminal during the September 2009 field trial. The detectors ranged in size from 0.25" to 1.0" in diameter. We
will present the histogram reconstruction and compare the data for the 0.25" and 1.0" power-in-bucket (PIB), and 1.0"
power-in-fiber (PIF) Adaptive Optics (AO) detectors with analytical probability density function (PDF) models based on
the Lognormal, Gamma-Laguerre, and Gamma-Gamma distributions. Additionally, dependence of the results on
propagation distance, detector aperture size, and varying levels of optical turbulence are investigated.