Effect of linear polarization on backscattering enhancement of targets with beam wave incidence

The effect of linear polarization including E-polarization and H-polarization of the incident wave on the behaviour of NRCS of targets in free space has been analyzed numerically. The scattering problems of plane wave and beam wave incidences were considered. Target configuration together with beam width kW have major effects on the backscattering enhancement in the laser RCS (LRCS). Creeping waves, produced in the case of H-polarization, influence the LRCS obviously for limited ka and their impact diminishes gradually with ka. NRCS suffers from an obvious oscillated behavior in the range ka > kW and differs with polarization. NRCS decreases gradually with ka as a result of the lack in the surface current. NRCS approaches certain values with ka > kW irrespective of the linear wave polarization.