Wide-band polarimetry and complex radar cross section signatures

Information about radar targets has to go beyond the scalar radar cross section (RCS) for target classification purposes. The necessary target information is constrained in the complex RCS matrix. The authors show the theoretical derivation of this matrix and of the related scattering matrix. Both matrices contain the target´s complex RCS for arbitrary polarization. The mathematical procedures for basis transformation that is, the evaluation of influences of polarization, are given. Equipment for wide-band, coherent RCS measurements with calibration targets and a 20-term error correction algorithm is presented. Using the complex RCS matrix, polarimetric target signatures are derived and plotted for simple objects. The target classification is finally based on the polarimetric signatures and the characteristic parameters derived from them. The basis of these are measurements of relevant samples and target RCS modeling