3-D simulation of subsurface PEC sensing for discrimination enhancement using bistatic positional, angular, and polarization diversity

This paper presents results intended to improve our understanding of the gains to be made in subsurface electromagnetic discrimination by employing bistatic positional, angular, and polarization diversity. Applying a 3-D finite element approach eliminates any restriction to axisymmetric geometries in targets and environment; and recent numerical innovations allow us to perform meaningful 3-D simulations at the workstation level. For specificity we assume an incident wave polarized in the (X,Z) plane of incidence, where Z is aligned with longitudinal target axis, for orientable targets. The simulations show physically explicable gains in discrimination from bistatic, polarimetric, multi-angle observation, even at a single frequency, with wavelengths an order of magnitude larger than characteristic target dimensions.