SAR resolution in the presence of phase errors

The author analyzes the effects of phase errors on synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The theory is applied to the following question: how does the achievable resolution vary with the carrier frequency when optimum quadratic focus and/or optimum processing interval (synthetic aperture length) are used? Numerous related results are given, so that much of the material is tutorial. For phase errors corresponding to uncompensated motion, the best achievable RMS resolution with any phase error spectrum satisfies the derived equation. For motion-induced phase errors it is seen that resolution improves with increasing carrier frequency when the first term in the expression applies (e.g. for phase errors concentrated at low frequencies) and resolution is independent of carrier frequency when R δ/v/v is the smaller term (e.g. with broad band or high frequency phase errors)     

Synthetic Aperture Radar

The general theory of side-looking synthetic aperture radar systems is developed. A simple circuit-theory model is developed; the geometry of the system determines the nature of the prefilter and the receiver (or processor) is the postfilter. The complex distributed reflectivity density appears as the input, and receiver noise is first considered as the interference which limits performance. Analysis and optimization are carried out for three performance criteria (resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and least squares estimation of the target field). The optimum synthetic aperture length is derived in terms of the noise level and average transmitted power. Range-Doppler ambiguity limitations and optical processing are discussed briefly. The synthetic aperture concept for rotating target fields is described. It is observed that, for a physical aperture, a side-looking radar, and a rotating target field, the azimuth resolution is ?/? where ? is the change in aspect angle over which the target field is viewed, The effects of phase errors on azimuth resolution are derived in terms of the power density spectrum of the derivative of the phase errors and the performance in the absence of phase errors.     

快速迭代反卷积算法的超分辨性能分析

传统观念认为,扫描体制下的实孔径雷达方位分辨力决定于3dB波束宽度,这使得雷达难以从方位上区分同一波束内的两个等距目标。迭代反卷积算法是一种简单实用的超分辨算法,为分析迭代反卷积算法的超分辨性能,文章对线性迭代算法和P阶决速迭代算法进行了比较并对此做了仿真实验。仿真实验表明,P阶快速迭代反卷积算法的超分辨效果较佳,而且...     

The Polar Ionospheric X-ray Imaging Experiment (PIXIE)

The Polar Ionospheric X-ray Imaging Experiment (PIXIE) is an X-ray multiple-pinhole camera designed to image simultaneously an entire auroral region from high altitudes. It will be mounted on the despun platform of the POLAR spacecraft and will measure the spatial distribution and temporal variation of auroral X-ray emissions in the 2 to 60 keV energy range on the day side of the Earth as well as the night. PIXIE consists of two pinhole cameras integrated into one assembly, each equipped with an adjustable aperture plate that allows an optimum number of nonoverlapping images to be formed in the detector plane at each phase of the satellite's eccentric orbit. The aperture plates also allow the pinhole size to be adjusted so that the experimenter can trade off spatial resolution against instrument sensitivity. In the principal mode of operation, one aperture plate will be positioned for high spatial resolution and the other for high sensitivity. The detectors consist of four stacked multiwire position-sensitive proportional counters, two in each of two separate gas chambers. The front chamber operates in the 2–12 keV energy range and the rear chamber in the 10–60 keV range. All of the energy and position information for each telemetered X-ray event is available on the ground. This enables the experimenter to adjust the exposure timepostfacto so that energy spectra of each X-ray emitting region can be independently accumulated. From these data PIXIE will provide, for the first time, global images of precipitated energetic electron spectra, energy inputs, ionospheric electron densities, and upper atmospheric conductivities.     

Analysis of the cylinder block tilting inertia moment and its effect on the performance of high-speed electro-hydrostatic actuator pumps of aircraft

Electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) pumps are usually characterized as high speed and small displacement. The tilting inertia moment on the cylinder block produced by the inertia forces of piston/slipper assemblies cannot be ignored when analyzing the cylinder block balance. A large tilting inertia moment will make the cylinder block tilt away from the valve plate, resulting in severe wear and significantly increased leakage. This paper presents an analytical expression for the tilting inertia moment on the cylinder block by means of vector analysis. In addition, a high-speed test rig was built up, and experiments on an EHA pump prototype were carried out at high speeds of up to 10,000 r/min. The predicted nature of the cylinder block tilt at high speeds corresponds closely to the witness marks on the dismantled EHA pump prototype. It is suggested that more attention should be given to the tilting inertia moment acting on the cylinder block of an EHA pump since both wear and leakage flow between the cylinder block and the valve plate are very much dependent on this tilting moment.     

Scanning Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar with Integrated Radiometer

Spaceborne synthetic aperture radar systems are severely constrained to a narrow swath by ambiguity limitations. Here a vertically scanned-beam synthetic aperture system (SCANSAR) is proposed as a solution to this problem. The potential length of synthetic aperture must be shared between beam positions, so the along-track resolution is poorer; a direct tradeoff exists between resolution and swath width. The length of the real aperture is independently traded against the number of scanning positions. Design curves and equations are presented for spaceborne SCANSARs for altitudes between 400 and 1400 km and inner angles of incidence between 20° and 40°. When the real antenna is approximately square, it may also be used for a microwave radiometer. The combined radiometer and synthetic-aperture (RADISAR) should be useful for those applications where the poorer resolution of the radiometer is useful for some purposes, but the finer resolution of the radar is needed for others.     

Adaptive Radar Beacon Forming

Propagation errors along paths between an array radar and a distribution of targets cause degradations in angle measurements and detection range. The overall objective of the research described in this paper was to analyze and demonstrate the use of conjugate reflections for compensating adverse effects of path errors. The effect of reflecting the conjugate of an incident wave is described mathematically and is demonstrated by computer simulation. Repeated conjugate reflections are shown to result in the formation of a single beam usually focussed on a target highlight. Echoes from this spatial reference, or "beacon" are shown to provide the means by which aperture phase errors may be effectively compensated. Results of radar simulations include two-way patterns computed for an example involving a distribution of three-point targets and half-wave-length Gaussian aperture errors. Without compensation a gain loss of 12 dB is computed; with error correction, based on echoes from an adaptively focussed beam, the two-way pattern is within a small fraction of a dB of the ideal pattern. The effect of noise on adaptive beacon forming was considered for a case involving one target. Repeated conjugate reflections improve signal-to-noise ratio as long as the effect of noise is less than the effect of aperture dephasing on the power reflected back to the target. An example is presented in which signal-to-noise ratio at the output of the receiver combining network is increased from 4 to 11.8 dB.     

A Semi-Empirical Approach to the PLL Threshold

This correspondence considers the response of the PLL near threshold to an input consisting of a modulated carrier and white, Gaussian noise. For high input signal-to-noise power ratios ?, the output noise power is Gaussian with a parabolic spectrum. As ? is decreased, the PLL tends to lose lock which gives rise to impulses or ?spikes? in the output with a resulting white power spectrum. The additional output noise due to these ?spikes? causes a threshold in the output signal-to-noise ratio. Unfortunately the loss of lock rate in the PLL depends on the modulation as well as the noise power. A semiempirical approximate expression for the loss of lock rate as a function of the noise and sinusoidal frequency modulation is presented and is used to determine the optimum design procedure for PLL's to demodulate FM signals of varying modulation indexes, ?.     

带单侧裂纹楔梁动力特性研究

由于裂纹存在引起构件局部柔度的变化,本文用线弹性断裂力学理论导出裂纹所释放的应变能,由Ｃａｓｔｉｇｌｉａｎｏ 定理得出局部柔度矩阵诸元素,据此来修正楔形梁的刚度矩阵,借助梁有限单元法,求解带裂纹楔形梁的动力特性,并对裂纹相对深度、裂纹位置、梁的长宽比、宽厚比、厚度斜度等几何因素对固有频率的影响进行了数值研究和相应的振动响应试验     

双基地角时变下的ISAR稀疏孔径自聚焦成像

针对双基地角时变下的逆合成孔径雷达（ISAR）成像分辨率低以及稀疏孔径存在相位误差引起图像散焦等问题,提出了一种基于贝叶斯压缩感知（BCS）的双基地ISAR稀疏孔径自聚焦高分辨成像算法。在平动补偿后回波数据的基础上,首先构造补偿相位将由双基地角时变引起的多普勒偏移补偿掉,然后构造随双基地角变化的稀疏基矩阵,建立基于压缩感知的双基地ISAR稀疏孔径观测模型,并将相位误差作为ISAR成像的模型误差,接着假设目标图像各像元服从Laplace先验、噪声统计特性服从Gaussian分布,利用贝叶斯推理进行"分布式"迭代求解,在高分辨成像的同时实现了相位自聚焦,仿真结果验证了算法的有效性和优越性。     

Signal Sequence Detection Given Noisy, Common Background Image Sets

The optimum processing (likelihood functional) is found for a set of M images {Zm = Sm + Y + Nm}, each the sum of a member Sm of a signal sequence {Sm}, due to an object to be detected and its parameters estimated, a sample function Nm of a noise field {Nm}, and a sample function Y of a common background field {Y}. The noise fields {{Nm}} are independent, zero mean, white Gaussian fields, all independent of the background field {Y}; the latter is assumed to be either 1} completely unknown or of known mean and covariance functions with 2) a certain fluctuation property or 3) Gaussian. Three equivalent forms of the optimum processing are found: 1) a summation of generalized matched filterings of the images, 2) a summation of matched filtering of certain generalized differences of the images, 3) a summation of ?estimator-correlator? type filterings. The detection performance and optimum signal/image selection under the Neyman-Pearson criterion is given and the singularity of the ({{Nm = O}} and M > 1) case noted. It is shown that optimum processor and signal design can completely eliminate any effect of the background on detectability (M > 1). The Cramer-Rao lower bound for the signal parameter estimates meansquare error is given along with an example; optimum signal/image selection in the single parameter case is discussed.     

机载单通道雷达实波束扫描的前视探测

针对机载单通道雷达采用合成孔径雷达(SAR)技术、多普勒波束锐化(DBS)技术等途径难以实现载机飞行路线正前方高分辨率成像问题,研究了一种利用方位实波束重叠扫描的新型机载单通道雷达前视探测方法,讨论了提高方位分辨率的可行性和适用条件。该方法根据目标回波强度受到波束扫描增益调制的特点,通过计算修正的Capon空间谱来实现方位超分辨。模拟实验表明,所提方法能够实现机载单通道雷达的前视成像,可以显著提高波束主瓣区域内强弱临近目标的分辨能力。     

Characteristics of the telescope Gamma-1 in the coded aperture mode

The efficiency of using the coded aperture on the Gamma-1 telescope to solve a variety of astrophysical problems has been considered. The coded aperture technique is shown to be at a disadvantage in relation to the conventional one so far as discriminating a source from the background is concerned. However, for powerful sources the coded aperture technique has an advantage from the viewpoint of accuracy of source location on the celestial sphere, the resolution of closely spaced sources and the determination of the sizes of sources.     

Application of the Spatial Spectral Power Density to the Calculation of Resolution Limits

Resolution as a function of aperture length in the presence of phase errors is investigated with the aid of the spatial power spectral density. Numerical calculations are made for power spectra thought to be appropriate for phase errors due to atmospheric turbulence. Both Gaussian and uniform illumination are considered, and the results obtained here are compared with those reported by Brown and Riordan [2].     

Proposals for Simplifying Envelope Normalization in Adaptive Antenna Arrays

In adaptive antenna arrays using control loops the processing is determined under certain conditions by the covariance matrix Bmn = E(f(v*m)vn)?n), where ?1,..., ?N are N-complex Gaussian noise video signals and f is some function of the phase of ?m. Half of the storages and real multiplications could be saved by taking only the real part of ?n. It will be shown that this can be done without changing the performance of the adaptive antenna array significantly.     

On the Accuracy And Resolution of Radar Signals

Information matrices are derived for estimates of the range parameters of moving targets as obtained by combining a priori information (if available) with reflected radar signals observed in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise. The inverse of the information matrix provides a lower bound on the covariance matrix of any unbiased parameter estimates. This bound can be approached with a high signal-to-noise ratio and optimum data processing (matched filters). Arbitrary frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, and target motion as well as various assumptions on processing the RF phase are considered. The multiple-target case makes possible investigation of a signal's resolution ability, as well as its accuracy potentials. Results for a carrier frequency much greater than the effective signal bandwidth are obtained as a special case. A main purpose of the paper is the reduction of the original radar problem to a linear model which is equivalent in the sense of having the same information matrix. These models provide valuable insight into the relative effects of multiple targets, choice of modulation, a priori information, and assumptions regarding RF phase and bandwidth. The linear equivalent model also leads to a valuable computational algorithm for investigations using digital or hybrid computers. The various special cases of interest are obtained by simple modifications of the general case, and thus the algorithm can provide a very versatile tool for evaluating and designing radar signals.     

Resolution and synthetic aperture characterization of sparse radar arrays

The concept of radar satellite constellations, or clusters, for synthetic aperture radar (SAR), moving target indicator (MTI), and other radar modes has been proposed and is currently under research. These constellations form an array that is sparsely populated and irregularly spaced; therefore, traditional matched filtering is inadequate for dealing with the constellation's radiation pattern. To aid in the design, analysis, and signal processing of radar satellite constellations and sparse arrays in general, the characterization of the resolution and ambiguity functions of such systems is investigated. We project the radar's received phase history versus five sensor parameters: time, frequency, and three-dimensional position, into a phase history in terms of two eigensensors that can be interpreted as the dimensions of a two-dimensional synthetic aperture. Then, the synthetic aperture expression is used to derive resolution and the ambiguity function. Simulations are presented to verify the theory.     

Laser Interferometer for High Sensitivity Measurements on Transient Phase Objects

A He-Ne laser beam is sent through a common path differential interferometer and the interference signal is detected by a p-i-n photodiode. Weak phase objects can be examined because optical path changes can be resolved to 0.1 ? with a time resolution of about 20 ns. Examples for different gas-dynamic investigations show good results and demonstrate the wide field of application for this type of laser interferometer.     

Target detection with synthetic aperture radar

Target detection with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is considered. We derive generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) detection algorithms that may be used with SAR images that are obtained with coherent subtraction or have Gaussian distributions. We analytically compare the performance of (1) a single pixel detector, (2) a detector using complete knowledge of the target signature information and known orientation information, (3) a detector using incomplete knowledge of the target signature information and known orientation information (4) a detector using unknown target signature information and known orientation information, and (5) a detector using unknown target signature information and unknown orientation information