Models and Processing of Radar Signals

This chapter presents distributions followed by different radar data. The chapter considers a physically homogeneous surface, like a field of grass. Each image pixel contains a large number of elementary scatterers. All these elementary scatterers add their contributions to the field emitted by the pixel in a coherent way. The speckle effect strongly limits the understanding of radar images. The case of a unique interaction between a wave and a dielectric or conducting surface corresponds to single-bounce scattering. The case of two successive single scattering events corresponds to double-bounce scattering or double scattering. Radar interferometry (InSAR) is based on geometric information hidden in the phase of a pixel, accessible with single look complex (SLC) data. Phase information can be divided into two parts. The first part is linked to the electromagnetic properties of the target and the second part is linked to the distance between the sensor and the target.