Reciprocal path scattering due to the combination of atmospheric turbulence and rough surfaces

Abstract

The topic of enhanced backscattering (BBS) from random media has generated considerable research interest for the last two decades in Eastern Europe and for the last decade in the West. Two distinct scattering phenomena that are unique to scattering by random media are capable of producing enhanced backscatter: coherent reciprocal path scattering (RPS) and incoherent random focusing events. When coherent RPS is responsible for EBS, the maximum enhancement factor is two.Several theoretical models exist for EBS from random rough surfaces and by atmospheric turbulence individually; however, no theoretical model exists for the EBS due to the combination of rough surface and atmospheric turbulence enhancement. Simple geometrical optics models are presented that illustrate the EBS due to RPS by the combination of saturated atmospheric turbulence and a rough surface target upon a monostatic laser radar system.