Simulating Synthetic Aperture Radar data using rigorous theories of scattering from rough surfaces

VIVIAN GRÜNHUT Y RICARDO DEPINE

ICTP, Trieste, Italia.

Congreso; Winter College; 2009

Microwave scattering can be used to obtain information about the dielectric properties or the geometric features of soil surfaces. Motivated by the future launch of Argentine satellites involving L-band full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radars, we have begun to investigate the pros and cons of using rigorous electromagnetic theories of scattering from rough surfaces to simulate polarimetric radar data. In this context, rigorous models can be useful for two different but complementary purposes. On the one hand, for checking the validity of common scattering theories, such as the physical optics, geometric optics or small perturbation theories, and on the other hand for simulating real polarimetric data obtained for surface targets characterized by geometric parameters with values in those ranges where the approximated methods are known to fail. Here we report some preliminary results obtained with a numerical code based on a perturbative solution of the integral equation called the reduced Rayleigh equations. These results are expected to be valid for small-rms-height, small-rms-slope random rough surfaces and for any values of the electric permittivity and magnetic permeability of the material below the surface. To validate the code, we show that our numerical examples reproduce both the main features predicted by physical optics for the diffraction of light from deterministic corrugated surfaces as well as the widely-known enhanced backscattering phenomenon observed in random rough surfaces.