Remote sensing of buried objects: an analysis using FD-TD simulation

A numerical modeling algorithm is developed and used to compute the scattering from objects buried under an irregular ground surface. The algorithm integrates object scattering with scattering from a rough surface above these objects. The algorithm will support two modes of operation: (a) return signal strength as a function of system, geometry, ground and object parameters and (b) angle and frequency diverse image as a function of system, geometry, ground and object parameters. The technique to be used for this effort will be a combination of the standard finite difference time domain (FD-TD) method, a randomly rough surface generation routine and an image generation routine developed at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Such an algorithm should be useful for predicting the return signal as a function of the radar system parameters and the ground condition. It also offers the potential to find an optimum choice of system and geometric parameters for detecting buried objects under a given situation