A comparison of range-Doppler and wavenumber domain SAR focusing algorithms

Focusing of SAR data requires a space-variant two-dimensional correlation. Different algorithms are compared with each other in terms of their focusing quality and their ability to handle the space-variance of the correlation kernel: the range-Doppler approach with and without secondary range compression, modified range-Doppler algorithms, and four versions of the wavenumber domain processor. The phase aberrations of the different algorithms are given in analytic form. Numerical examples are presented for Seasat and ERS-1. A novel systems theoretical derivation of the wavenumber domain algorithm is presented