Ka band backscatter measurements and modeling of tree foliage

Measurements of Ka band foliage backscattering are presented. A red maple tree was tested over a wide range of azimuth angles, and measurements were performed for the tree with and without leaves to demonstrate the effects of backscattering from leaves. Frequency and angle steps were chosen to obtain 2-D ISAR images. To simulate the backscatter measurements from tree foliage, simple theoretical models based on the single scattering approximation are employed. ISAR images and angular responses from the physical models are compared with the experimental results to validate the theory