Polarization radar processing technology

A comprehensive effort involving measurements and performance evaluation for the detection of scatterers immersed in a background of natural and man-made clutter using polarization diverse waveforms is presented. The effort spans evaluation from the initial stages of theoretical formation to processor performance evaluation using real-world data. The theoretical approach consists of determining polarimetric statistical properties of the backscatter waveform and these properties to derive the optimum dual-polarized S-band radar system with selectable polarization on both transmit and receiver. Several processors utilizing optimum and suboptimum algorithms were evaluated using simulated and live radar data, and performance results are compared. The processor types include fully adaptive algorithms designed to operate on polarimetric spectral spread waveforms, and several combinations of single channel and polarization diverse receivers with both single and dual transmit polarization. Results are plotted and evaluated by displaying probability of detection as a function of signal-to-noise ratio with processor type as a parameter