Range correlation effects in radars

The problem of characterizing the effects of range correlation and local oscillator phase noise on the intermediate frequency spectrum in a coherent, continuous wave or pulsed Doppler radar is addressed. Since the phase noise is a stochastic process, the problem is defined in a stochastic processes context and a reasonable set of assumptions is imposed to produce a general, straightforward and easily understandable solution. The solution clearly indicates how the natural spectrum of the scatterer, the phase noise spectrum, and range correlation combine to produce the intermediate frequency spectrum. A specific example is provided for the case of a pulsed Doppler radar. The results are compared to the formulation based on the assumption that the phase noise is deterministic.