Polarization Features in Bistatic Scattering From Rough Surfaces

A study of the bistatic scattering patterns of rough surfaces is reported. We utilize both approximate and numerically exact models for surface scattering, and focus in particular on the location of local minima in the normalized radar cross-section as a function of the polar and azimuthal scattering angles. It is shown that these minima locations are distinct for HH and VV polarized returns in the case of slight roughness, and that the minimum locations for VV polarization are dependent for this case on the permittivity of the surface. It is also shown that these behaviors are modified as the surface roughness increases. These results may be useful in the design of future bistatic methods for sensing rough surface properties; initial consideration of the remote sensing of surface permittivity for small height surfaces is provided as an example.