On the asymptotic ergodic capacity of FSO links with generalized pointing error model

Free-space optical (FSO) communication systems are negatively affected by two physical phenomenon, namely, scintillation due to atmospheric turbulence and pointing errors. To quantize the effect of these two factors on FSO system performance, we need an effective mathematical model for them. Scintillations are typically modeled by the log-normal and Gamma-Gamma distributions for weak and strong turbulence conditions, respectively. In this paper, we propose and study a generalized pointing error model based on the Beckmann distribution. We then derive the asymptotic ergodic capacity of FSO systems under the joint impact of turbulence and generalized pointing error impairments.