Simulation of a polarimetric radar imaging system using realistic antenna patterns

In this paper we analyze the impact of coupling the polarimetric characteristics of antennas and targets on a radar system response and performance. In particular, we show that the cross-polarized fields radiated by antennas can have a significant impact on a polarimetric radar imaging system that involves wide-angle integration. As a numerical example, we apply this method to the problem of through-the-wall detection of small weapons based on polarimetric differences between images. The simulation results demonstrate a reduction in the weapon detection scheme performance when the radar antenna cross-polarization suppression drops under a certain limit.