A Gaussian beam shooting algorithm for radar propagation simulations

Gaussian beam shooting is proposed as an alternative to the Parabolic Equation method or to ray-based techniques, in order to compute backscattered fields in the context of Non-Line-of-Sight ground-based radar. Propagated fields are represented as a superposition of Gaussian beams, which are launched from the emitting antenna and transformed through successive interactions with obstacles. In this paper, we present an outline of this 3D algorithm and propose a beam re-expansion scheme to address the problem of beam widening. Realistic scenarios will be used to test the ability of Gaussian beam shooting to accommodate typical propagation environments for ground-based UHF radar, including buildings.