Solution for polarimetric radar cross section measurement and calibration

Abstract

The exact radar cross-section (RCS) measurement is difficult when the scattering of targets is low. Full polarimetric calibration is one technique that offers the potential for improving the accuracy of RCS measurements. There are numerous polarimetric calibration algorithms. Some complex expressions in these algorithms cannot be easily used in an engineering practice. A radar polarimetric coefficients matrix (RPCM) with a simpler expression is presented for the monostatic radar polarization scattering matrix (PSM) measurement. Using a rhombic dihedral corner reflector and a metallic sphere, the RPCM can be obtained by solving a set of equations, which can be used to find the true PSM for any target. An example for the PSM of a metallic dish shows that the proposed method obviously improves the accuracy of crosspolarized RCS measurements.