A new clutter rejection method using a robust polarimetricCFAR-detector

Two methods for constructing robust polarimetric constant-false-alarm-rate (CFAR) detectors that use elements of the scattering matrix are discussed. Both methods use robust estimators to recognize outliers and exclude them from further calculations. The first method weighs each sample of the surrounding vectors, and vectors that appear to be outliers are weighted with lower values than the others. The second method uses cluster algorithms to arrange the data in different clusters; some clusters contain the outliers, and others contain observations assumed to come from the main body of the data. The detectors are intended to be used in multitarget and nonhomogeneous-clutter environments     

Next generation digital GPS receiver

The architecture and technology features of the next-generation (NGR) digital GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver manufactured by Collin are described. The project's objective was to develop an advanced GPS receiver chipset with high antijam capabilities. The program, initiated in 1985, has provided the technology for miniature receiver products for both unmanned and manned vehicle applications. A two-channel version of the receiver is in full-scale development for tactical missile applications. A five-channel version is being tested and evaluated as a drop-in replacement for RCVR-3A, the US Department of Defense standard high dynamic receiver. The NGR design started with the digital signal processing architecture developed for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) hand-held GPS receiver. Enhancements were made to improve the antijam and signal acquisition performance. Producible, qualifiable and cost-effective silicon monolithic microwave integrated circuits and semicustom digital technologies were used to develop the core GPS chipset. A system design approach was established to permit reuse of mature and validated GPS software     

Experimental phased array radar ELRA with extended flexibility

An update of a phased array radar project with the experimental system ELRA (electronic steerable radar) is given with respect to the extended and improved possibilities for performing measurements and evaluations for different types of radar operation. The variability of waveforms for solid-state transmitters is described. Flexible control of multifunction operation with various search and localization tasks is achieved with a network of microcomputers. Different means of signal processing are used for target detection and estimation. The active receiving array is divided into subarrays, and offers digital beamforming for pattern shaping and adaptive jammer suppression. Experimental results are presented     

Magnetic reconnection in solar coronal loops

Simulations of the evolution of kink modes in line-tied coronal loops are presented which demonstrate the occurrence of magnetic reconnection in the non-linear stage of the instability. In loops which do not carry a net axial current (and are confined by a potential purely axial field) the reconnection is limited to the initial current-carrying channel and no overall loss of confinement is observed. In loops which carry a net current on the other hand, reconnection progressively involves field lines at greater and greater distances from the axis and even regions where the field was initially potential, leading to a total disruption of the magnetic field topology.     

A Series of Proton Flares in July 1985 from Observations by the Prognoz-10 Satellite and Vega-1, 2 Spacecraft

The enhancements of solar protons with an energy of more than 30 MeV, originating from flares in one active region and observed simultaneously aboard three spacecraft Vega-1, 2 and Prognoz-10 in July 1985, are analyzed and approximated in this work by using the reflection model [2]. The numerical values of several physical parameters (the parameters of distribution of solar cosmic ray (SCR) particles inside heliosphere traps, the coefficients of trap transparency) that are not observed by direct measurements are estimated.     

Active transmitting phased antenna arrays

The benefits of using transmitting phased array antennas for radar systems are examined. Accurate performance prediction for the transmitting phased array antennas requires theories describing both the antenna system and the power generation devices. These theories were created and applied to the design and performance evaluation of the Russian 3-D mobile solid-state surveillance radar 67N6E (GAMMA-DE), a PAA designed for long-range air defense.     

Radar target identification using the bispectrum: a comparativestudy

Radar target identification is performed using time-domain bispectral features. The classification performance is compared with the performance of other classifiers that use either the impulse response or frequency domain response of the unknown target. The classification algorithms developed here are based on the spectral or the bispectral energy of the received backscatter signal. Classification results are obtained using simulated radar returns derived from measured scattering data from real radar targets. The performance of classifiers in the presence of additive Gaussian (colored or white), exponential noise, and Weibull noise are considered, along with cases where the azimuth position of the target is unknown. Finally, the effect on classification performance of responses horn extraneous point scatterers is investigated     

Venus Express: Scientific goals, instrumentation, and scenario of the mission

The first European mission to Venus (Venus Express) is described. It is based on a repeated use of the Mars Express design with minor modifications dictated in the main by more severe thermal environment at Venus. The main scientific task of the mission is global exploration of the Venusian atmosphere, circumplanetary plasma, and the planet surface from an orbiting spacecraft. The Venus Express payload includes seven instruments, five of which are inherited from the missions Mars Express and Rosetta. Two instruments were specially designed for Venus Express. The advantages of Venus Express in comparison with previous missions are in using advanced instrumentation and methods of remote sounding, as well as a spacecraft with a broad spectrum of capabilities of orbital observations.