Differences in Spectrum Width Estimates Between Electronic Scans and Mechanical Scans With a Phased Array Weather Radar

Abstract

This letter presents differences in spectrum width estimates between electronic scans and mechanical scans with a cylindrical polarimetric phased array radar (CPPAR). Theoretical formulation of spectrum width estimates considering the transverse wind, shear, and turbulence within the radar’s resolution volume is described. Cross correlation function between two resolution volumes is derived based on wave scattering by randomly distributed scatterers. Spectrum width estimates of ground clutter and weather scatterers with the CPPAR in electronic scans and mechanical scans are presented and compared. It is shown that instead of antenna rotation, the transverse wind, shear, and turbulence within the radar’s resolution volume, which were previously ignored for narrow beams, contribute the most to the differences in spectrum width estimates between mechanical scans and electronic scans for the CPPAR with a wide beam.