Simulation of synthetic aperture radar imaging of dynamic wakes of submerged body

Abstract

Simulation of the wakes excited by a submerged body in high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging is presented. The hydrodynamic model consists of two sets of ocean dynamics closely relevant to SAR imaging, namely time evolution of the wake and wind waves, and orbital motion of Bragg waves riding on them. For the wake, the orbital motion is reconstructed through a least square-based solution from the known elevation map. Time domain backscattering from the electrically very large ocean scenario is computed by a quasi-stationary algorithm, in which a physical optics phase correction of the two-scale model is proposed to take account the Doppler effects caused by wave orbital motions. SAR images of the wake are simulated as a function of the size, speed and depth of the submerged body, in which a range of wake features are observed, such as azimuth displacement, velocity bunching and smearing. This work might provide insights into the feasibility of using a SAR sensor to detect the wakes of a submerged body.