Scintillation correlation between forward and return spherical waves.

According to the point-source point-receiver (PSPR) reciprocity, the received field remains equal when the positions of a point source and point receiver are interchanged. We extend the PSPR scenario to a finite receiver that spatially averages scintillation over its aperture. By use of weak-fluctuation theory, an analytical expression for the correlation coefficient between the received powers at both link ends is provided. The effects of turbulence profile, receiver aperture size, and central obscuration on the correlation are assessed. Because correlation is obtained to the detriment of antenna gain and aperture averaging, the net benefit of the channel reciprocity is highly scenario dependent.