Radar imaging for aircraft identification and planetary astronomy

Citation

Hudson, Raymond Scott (1991) Radar imaging for aircraft identification and planetary astronomy. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/cf3k-sv32. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-06242005-160651

Abstract

The potential for identifying aircraft using one-dimensional radar range profiles in conjunction with a bank of correlation filters is investigated. Filters which maximize the expected value of the correlation with a target's profiles are derived, and an algorithm for computing them is presented. The algorithm is used on an extensive set of real aircraft profiles, and target identification experiments are performed. It is found that an averaging of identifications of several profiles is required to achieve reliable identification. The use of multiple radar range profiles to form two-dimensional images through the techniques of inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) is explored. Particular attention is given to the blurring which can arise when the target aspect does not vary linearly with time. An iterative algorithm for estimating target motion is developed which allows well-focused images to be formed in these cases. It is applied to simulated data and to an acoustic imaging experiment.

A technique for forming two-dimensional radar images of a spherical planetary surface using one-dimensional Doppler spectra is developed. Simulations are used to explore the technique's effectiveness and robustness. It is then applied to real data from Jupiter's moons Ganymede and Callisto, and to Mars.

Thesis Files