An analytical presentation of the monochromatic ocean wave image by a regular or an interferometric synthetic aperture radar

An asymptotic expansion of the theoretical model for simulation of a monochromatic ocean wave imaging by either regular synthetic aperture radar (SAR), or by along-track interferometric SAR (INSAR), and its analytical approximation are considered. The model takes into account the so-called velocity bunching imaging mechanism. The domains of validity of the simplified asymptotic and analytical expressions for both SAR and INSAR imaging of the ocean waves are established by comparing those solutions with the corresponding full numerical simulations. The analytical presentations of the SAR and the INSAR wave imaging obtained in the present study are used to understand better the limitations and the relative advantages of both techniques and to define the dimensionless parameters which govern the imaging process