Abstract: Based on the generalized Huygens-Fresnel principle and the modified von Karman spectrum model, the analytic expressions for intensity distribution of radial Gaussian array beams after incoherent combination that propagation in the atmospheric turbulence were derived. And the self-coupling characteristics of array beams was analyzed numerically with the change of transmission distance and the radial radius. Finally self-coupling characteristics of array beam of different radial radius with the change of the transmission distance had been measured by using a beam analyzer. The experimental results show that when Gaussian array beams propagate in atmospheric turbulence horizontaly, array beam will combine a beam from a certain distance with the increasing of transmission distance. And the average intensity of the combined beam is like-Gaussian distribution; under the same transmission conditions, the smaller the radial radius, the better the self-coupling characteristics of the array beams is.