A bistatic Doppler technique to measure forward scattering at large angles of incidence

Abstract

We present a bistatic Doppler method to measure forward scatter at large angles of incidence. The Doppler shifted signal avoids contamination by the direct signal between antennae. We illuminated a small area on a rotating table with a 95-GHz transmitter pointed at 60–80° angles of incidence. The area velocity was nearly constant. The scattering media was crushed rock with root mean square (rms) height to wavelength ratio near unity. Although theory precludes Doppler shift for targets moving in the plane of bistatic collinear antennae, shifts occurred at the monostatic backscattering value predicted by twice the table velocity within the illuminated area. The Rayleigh distributions of the Doppler shifted signal, with increasing standard deviation and corresponding decreasing peak amplitude as angle of incidence increased, are expected for the unity ratio, and so verify that Doppler shifted forward scatter was measured. The increased standard deviation with increasing angle is expected because of the increased sensitivity to smaller slope facets of the rock. The reference signal recorded for a metal plate signal also verifies the bistatic Doppler shift and precludes contamination by multiply-reflected backscatter. Minor modifications will allow grazing angle behaviour to be approached. It appears that further theory is needed to understand the bistatic Doppler process.