Methods in ISAR motion estimation error analysis

The most critical task in ISAR imaging is the estimation of the target´s motion. The sources of motion estimation errors can vary. Usually, the quality of the motion estimation is judged by its resulting image, which allows only indirect conclusions on the origin and type of errors. In this paper we present techniques on how a reference source of high precision can be used to gain more detailed information on the error. Finally, we introduce a method that is capable of quantifying the impact of motion estimation error onto the image quality objectively.