Bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Research Articles

A target localization error analysis method for bistatic SAR based on gradient theory

ABSTRACTBistatic range sum (BRS) equation and Doppler equation of bistatic synthetic aperture radar (BiSAR) can be used to achieve target localization in BiSAR images. Because of the double square roots existing in BiSAR range history, it is hard to analyze the target localization error of a BiSAR system by calculating the partial derivatives directly. In this letter, a method utilizing spatial gradient vectors of BRS and Doppler frequency is proposed to derive the analytic solution of localization error for BiSAR. The effectiveness of the method is validated by a numerical simulation experiment.

Bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging method for the high-speed motion target

Bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) can help image the high-speed target for its advantage in tracking and more observation angle to provide more information than monostatic ISAR. However, the complex image geometry makes it difficult to achieve a clear image of the target with geometry distortion correction and calibration. Furthermore, high-speed motion will make the image blurred or defocussed. To address these problems, a bistatic ISAR (B-ISAR) imaging method for high-speed motion target with geometric distortion correction and calibration is proposed. According to the motion decomposition idea, we established the B-ISAR echo model of the high-speed motion target. Then, based on the range Doppler algorithm, we deduce the analytic formula of the geometric distortion factor and calibration factor, and transform the imaging problem into a parameter estimation problem. With the sparsity of the scattering points, the required parameters are solved using the expectation maximization algorithm based on the maximum a posteriori probability criterion. With the estimated parameters, a clear B-ISAR image of a high-speed motion target with geometric correction and calibration is obtained. The simulations show that the proposed method has better resolution and simultaneously attains geometric distortion correction and calibration of the image.

A Novel Channel Calibration Method for Bistatic ISAR Imaging System

In practical bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging systems, the echo signals are modulated by non-ideal amplitude and phase characteristics of the transmitting and receiving channels, which seriously distorts image quality. However, the conventional channel calibration method based on a transponder is not applicable to bistatic ISAR imaging systems, since the baseline of the system is up to hundreds of kilometers. A channel calibration method only using calibration satellite echo information is proposed for the system, with a linear frequency modulation (LFM) waveform. Firstly, echoes of the calibration satellite are collected by tracking the satellite and multi-period echoes are aligned in the time domain, according to the pulse compression result. Then, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is improved by accumulating multi-period echoes coherently in the time domain and the calibration coefficient is constructed based on the accumulated signal. Finally, spectrum of the echo signal is multiplied with the calibration coefficient to compensate the influence of channel characteristics. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the simulation experiment with real satellite echoes.

New Back-filtering PFA Imaging Algorithm and Distortion Correction Method for Missile-borne Bistatic SAR with Curved Track

The traditional bistatic equivalent range model has low accuracy and make the traditional Polar Format Algorithm (PFA) are inapplicable in missile-borne bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging with curved track due to the existing of three-axis velocity and acceleration. In addition, due to the existing of space-variant motion error introduced by acceleration, the traditional 2-D sub-block compensation method will cause the discontinuities between the image sub-blocks, thus affecting the subsequent image matching application. In view of these problems, this paper proposes a Back-Filtering PFA algorithm (BFPFA) which is based on the Improved Generalized Bistatic Equivalent Range Model (IGBERM). Constructing the combined compensating filter of space-variant phase error and geometric distortion, as well as reverse mapping interpolation, can realize the combined compensation of motion error, wavefront bending and geometric distortion in the process of oblique conversion, and obtain the SAR distance map without distortion, which is more conducive to the subsequent image matching applications. Finally, the simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Analysis and Simulation on Imaging Performance of Backward and Forward Bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar

In recent years, bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technique has attracted considerable and increasing attention. Compared to monostatic SAR for which only the backscattering is measured, bistatic SAR expands the scattering measurements in aspects of angular region and polarization, and greatly enhances the capability of remote sensing over terrain and sea. It has been pointed out in recent theoretical researches that bistatic scattering measured in the forward region is preferable to that measured in the backward region in lines of surface parameters retrieval. In the forward region, both dynamic range and signal sensitivity increase to a great extent. For these reasons, bistatic SAR imaging is desirable. However, because of the separated positions of the transmitter and receiver, the degrees of freedom in the parameter space is increased and the forward bistatic imaging is more complicated than the backward bistatic SAR in the aspects of bistatic range history, Doppler parameter estimation and motion compensation, et, al. In this study, we analyze bistatic SAR in terms of ground range resolution, azimuth resolution, bistatic range history and signal to noise ratio (SNR) in different bistatic configurations. Effects of system motion parameters on bistatic SAR imaging are investigated through analytical modeling and numerical simulations. The results indicate that the range resolution is extremely degraded in some cases in forward bistatic SAR imaging. In addition, due to the different imaging projection rules between backward and forward bistatic SAR, the ghost point is produced in the forward imaging. To avoid the above problems, the forward bistatic imaging geometry must be carefully considered. For a given application requirement with the desired imaging performances, the design of the motion parameters can be considered as a question of solving the nonlinear equation system (NES). Then the improved chaos particle swarm optimization (CPSO) is introduced to solve the NES and obtain the optimal solutions. And the simulated imaging results are used to test and verify the effectiveness of CPSO. The results help to deepen understanding of the constraints and properties of bistatic SAR imaging and provide the reference to the optimal design of the motion parameters for a specific requirement, especially in forward bistatic configurations.

Feasibility, Design, and Deployment Requirements of TCR for Bistatic SAR Radiometric Calibration

The trihedral corner reflector (TCR) is widely used as the calibration device in monostatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) calibration, and the performance of the TCR in radiometric calibration has been studied and verified in depth. As for the bistatic SAR system calibration problem, there have been few published studies. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the exact bistatic radar cross-section (RCS) pattern of TCR with different bistatic angles, and it is also not clear whether the TCR can be used as the calibration target in bistatic SAR. Moreover, the bistatic and monostatic radar cross-section (RCS) characteristics of the TCR are different, even if the bistatic angle is very small. Therefore, the feasibility, design, and deployment requirements of the TCR for bistatic SAR calibration should be carefully investigated. In this paper, we outline the theoretical and practical requirements that need to be satisfied when choosing appropriate calibration devices for bistatic radiometric calibration. Based on these requirements, we analyzed the bistatic RCS patterns using electromagnetic simulation, and concluded that the TCR is feasible for bistatic SAR calibration under relatively small bistatic angles (less than 6°). The change of TCR boresight with the bistatic angle is not considered generally. However, we found that the TCR boresight and peak RCS will change with the bistatic angle. We have also proposed that the bistatic angle can be extended to 20° by taking the change of the TCR boresight into account. In this condition, we should get the TCR boresight according to the bistatic angle and then align it during the deployment. Both of these two conditions have their own unique advantages. Different error sources of TCR RCS from manufacture, misalignment, and deformation were investigated quantitatively with simulations, which can provide a theoretical basis for how to design a suitable TCR and guarantee the calibration accuracy for bistatic calibration. In addition, simulation results are different from those of monostatic calibration. Through experiments, we have further verified the feasibility by comparing the quality of bistatic SAR images and point target energy with several typical bistatic angles as the TCR boresight is considered or not. If the bistatic angle is larger than 6°, taking the TCR optimum boresight into account can improve imaging quality and point target energy.

Decreased Probability of Error in Template-Matching Classification Using Aspect-Diverse Bistatic SAR

We extend the concept of monostatic aspect diversity for improved automatic target recognition (ATR) to a bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) platform. We derive the probability of error with respect to the number of aspects used for a simple two-target template-matching classification system. The validity of the error prediction is confirmed using simulated bistatic SAR images. Our results demonstrate the ATR benefits of supplementing monostatic SAR images with one or more bistatic SAR images.

A Space-Variant Phase Filtering Imaging Algorithm for Missile-Borne BiSAR With Arbitrary Configuration and Curved Track

The three-axis velocity and acceleration of platform not only reduce the accuracy of the traditional bistatic equivalent range model in the missile-borne bistatic synthetic aperture radar (BiSAR) with arbitrary configuration and curved track but also make the imaging algorithm based on the uniform linear track model inapplicable any more. In addition, due to the influence of space-variant motion errors introduced by double platform acceleration, the traditional 2-D subblock compensation method will cause discontinuities between image subblocks, and thus affect the subsequent image matching application. In view of these problems, this paper proposes a new BiSAR imaging algorithm, the space-variant phase filtering imaging algorithm (SVPFIA), which is based on the modified bistatic equivalent range model. SVPFIA constructs the combined compensating filter of space-variant phase error and geometric distortion and adopts inverse mapping interpolation. This makes it possible to achieve the local joint compensation of motion error, wavefront bending, and geometric distortion in the process of oblique conversion, and consequently yield the SAR ground image without distortion to facilitate the subsequent image matching process. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is examined through simulation experiments.

Monostatic and Bistatic Low Frequency Ultrawideband SAR Imaging Experiment

Low frequency ultrawideband (LF UWB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has lately become of a particular interest to SAR community. Monostatic and bistatic LF UWB SAR system has the well foliage penetrating capability, high-resolution imaging and providing the increased information. In 2015, a monostatic and bistatic LF UWB SAR imaging experiment was conducted. In this experiment, the monostatic and bistatic data were collected simultaneously by operating a moving vehicle-based radar in the SAR mode, in conjunction with a stationary ground-based receiver. The aim was to investigate the imaging property of the bistatic LF UWB SAR system. The one pulse per second (1 PPS) signal in combination with the global position system (GPS) disciplined 100 MHz oscillator from the GPS receivers was used to implement the time and frequency synchronization in this SAR system. The bistatic SAR image was obtained by the subaperture spectrum-equilibrium method integrated with the fast factorized back projection (FFBP) algorithm. Bistatic experiment results are show to prove the validity of the bistatic LF UWB SAR imaging experiment.

Accurate Analysis of Target Characteristic in Bistatic SAR Images: A Dihedral Corner Reflectors Case.

The dihedral corner reflectors are the basic geometric structure of many targets and are the main contributions of radar cross section (RCS) in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. In stealth technologies, the elaborate design of the dihedral corners with different opening angles is a useful approach to reduce the high RCS generated by multiple reflections. As bistatic synthetic aperture sensors have flexible geometric configurations and are sensitive to the dihedral corners with different opening angles, they specially fit for the stealth target detections. In this paper, the scattering characteristic of dihedral corner reflectors is accurately analyzed in bistatic synthetic aperture images. The variation of RCS with the changing opening angle is formulated and the method to design a proper bistatic radar for maximizing the detection capability is provided. Both the results of the theoretical analysis and the experiments show the bistatic SAR could detect the dihedral corners, under a certain bistatic angle which is related to the geometry of target structures.

Time–frequency analysis for moving ship targets in GEO spaceborne/airborne bistatic SAR imaging based on a GEO satellite transmitter

ABSTRACTThe track of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system mounted on a geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellite can be curvilinear. GEO spaceborne/airborne bistatic (SA-Bi) SAR, which employs a GEO satellite as a transmitter and an aeroplane that works on the ‘receive-only’ mode as a receiver, is distinct from general bistatic SAR systems. During coherent integration time, the rotation of ship targets results in a time-varying Doppler frequency shift that produces a smeared Doppler spectrum and a blurred image after Fourier transform. This article mainly studies the time–frequency characteristics of ship targets in a GEO SA-Bi SAR system. First, the geometric model of a GEO SA-Bi SAR in ship target imaging is built, and the Doppler frequency shift function induced by target rotation is derived in detail. Then, the instantaneous frequency characteristics of moving targets are analytically calculated based on the time–frequency analysis method. Moreover, a rotation target imaging strategy of GEO SA-Bi SAR based on the time–frequency analysis method is proposed and tested with simulation data, which demonstrates the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method.

Sea ice local surface topography from single-pass satellite InSAR measurements: a feasibility study

Abstract. Quantitative parameters characterizing the sea ice surface topography are needed in geophysical investigations such as studies on atmosphere–ice interactions or sea ice mechanics. Recently, the use of space-borne single-pass interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) for retrieving the ice surface topography has attracted notice among geophysicists. In this paper the potential of InSAR measurements is examined for several satellite configurations and radar frequencies, considering statistics of heights and widths of ice ridges as well as possible magnitudes of ice drift. It is shown that, theoretically, surface height variations can be retrieved with relative errors ≤ 0.5 m. In practice, however, the sea ice drift and open water leads may contribute significantly to the measured interferometric phase. Another essential factor is the dependence of the achievable interferometric baseline on the satellite orbit configurations. Possibilities to assess the influence of different factors on the measurement accuracy are demonstrated: signal-to-noise ratio, presence of a snow layer, and the penetration depth into the ice. Practical examples of sea surface height retrievals from bistatic SAR images collected during the TanDEM-X Science Phase are presented.

An Improved RD Algorithm for Maneuvering Bistatic Forward-Looking SAR Imaging with a Fixed Transmitter.

In order to improve the azimuth resolution beyond what monostatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can achieve in the forward-looking area, an asymmetric configuration bistatic SAR system and its imaging algorithm are proposed in this paper. The transmitter is mounted on a fixed platform in side-looking mode while the receiver moves along a nonlinear trajectory in forward-looking mode. Due to the high velocity and acceleration of the maneuvering platform in both along-track and height direction, the traditional algorithms are no longer applicable. In this paper, a new algorithm based on the high precise 2-D frequency spectrum is proposed, which takes high-order Taylor series expansion terms of the slant range into consideration. The proposed algorithm compensates high-order range-azimuth coupling terms to guarantee the focus accuracy in SAR imaging. The simulation results and error analysis validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and the correctness of our analysis.

Analysis on Missile-borne Bistatic Forward-looking SAR Imaging Perfomance

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been gradually applied to missile guidance for its advantages of all-weather, all-time and long-distance capabilities. Nevertheless, missile-borne SAR can not image on the area in front of the missile track restricted by SAR working characteristics. Missile-borne forward-looking SAR will be realized through separated transmitter and receiver. Iso-range contours, iso-Doppler contours, ground resolution and azimuth resolution are used to analyze the performance of missile-borne bistatic forward-looking SAR, as to provide the theoretical basis for its application.

Space-Surface Bistatic SAR Image Enhancement Based on Repeat-Pass Coherent Fusion With Beidou-2/Compass-2 as Illuminators

Low signal power density limits the performance of space-surface bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SS-BiSAR) using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites as illuminators. To tackle this problem, in this letter, a novel bistatic SAR image enhancement technique based on repeat-pass coherent fusion is proposed. The works in this letter include three aspects. First, repeat-pass experiments are designed to ensure the best resolution. Second, a modified CLEAN technique is applied to remove the direct signal interference from the focused BiSAR images. Third, a coherence-processing method is proposed to implement coherence of each repeat-pass BiSAR image and then they are coherently fused to obtain a quality-improved BiSAR image. Twenty-two days of repeat-pass BiSAR experiments with Beidou-2/Compass-2 inclined geosynchronous orbit satellites as illuminators have been designed and conducted. The data were processed by the proposed method. The results show that the method can obtain better image quality compared with the traditional noncoherent fusion method and the single-day imaging result, which validates the proposed method and proves the huge potential in realizing local area monitoring with SS-BiSAR using GNSS satellites as illuminators.

Bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging method for maneuvering targets

Bistatic inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) is an efficient geometric configuration of ISAR and can provide complementary information to monostatic ISAR. However, bistatic ISAR suffers from a serious defocusing problem and distortion problem for maneuvering targets. We propose a method to solve these problems. First, cubic chirplet decomposition based on Keystone transform (KTCCD) is proposed to eliminate the defocusing problem. The echo is assumed as a combination of cubic chirplet atoms, and Keystone transformation is utilized to estimate the parameters for each atom. Then, a method based on distortion term estimation is proposed to eliminate the distortion problem. The distortion terms in certain range bins are expressed by the initial frequency and the chirp rate, and the distortion terms in other range bins are fitted by the ordinary least square algorithm. Simulation results validate the theoretical analysis and show the effectiveness of our method.

Path Planning for GEO-UAV Bistatic SAR Using Constrained Adaptive Multiobjective Differential Evolution

With the geosynchronous synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite as the transmitter, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can passively receive the echo within the illuminated ground area and achieve 2-D imaging of the interested target. This SAR system, known as GEO-UAV bistatic SAR, is capable of autonomously accomplishing the bistatic SAR mission in rough terrain environments by prespecifying a path for the UAV receiver. In this paper, the GEO-UAV bistatic SAR system is first investigated. The practical advantages and spatial resolution are then analyzed in detail. The spatial resolution of GEO-UAV bistatic SAR is dependent on the observation geometry, which is determined by the UAV path. Therefore, the path planning for GEO-UAV bistatic SAR aims at identifying a set of optimal paths for the UAV receiver to travel through a 3-D terrain environment that simultaneously guarantees the safety of the UAV and achieves SAR imaging with optimized performance during the flight. The path planning is modeled as a constrained multiobjective optimization problem (MOP), which accurately represents the two main aspects for the path planning problem, i.e., UAV navigation and bistatic SAR imaging. Then, a path planning method based on a constrained-adaptive-multiobjective-differential-evolution algorithm is proposed to solve the MOP and generate multiple feasible paths for the UAV receiver with different tradeoffs between navigation for UAV and bistatic SAR imaging performance. The GEO-UAV bistatic SAR mission designer can choose a path from the solution set according to the application requirements, which makes the method more pragmatic.

Spaceborne/Stationary Bistatic SAR Imaging With TerraSAR-X as an Illuminator in Staring-Spotlight Mode

This paper addresses some important aspects for the spaceborne/stationary bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (SS-BiSAR) imaging with the transmitter, TerraSAR-X, operated in staring spotlight (ST) mode. With the large integration time reaching 7.5 s and the azimuth steering span reaching $\pm 2.2^{0}$ , several significant effects occur, including troposphere delay, precision phase and time synchronization, the curved orbit effect, azimuth spectrum aliasing problem, and efficient frequency domain focusing algorithm. To circumvent the main effects, corresponding solutions are proposed, including a precise synchronization strategy with troposphere delay correction based on the direct signal from the transmitter and a modified and integrative bistatic polar format algorithm (PFA). This paper covers the theoretical development, implementation, and analysis of the SS-BiSAR PFA based on 2-D fast Gaussian gridding nonuniform fast Fourier transform with wavefront curvature correction. Furthermore, the high-resolution ST-mode SS-BiSAR image processed by the proposed algorithm is acquired, and the differences of scattering behaviors between monostatic and bistatic SAR images are analyzed in detail.

A Synchronization Algorithm for Spaceborne/Stationary BiSAR Imaging Based on Contrast Optimization With Direct Signal From Radar Satellite

This paper proposes a synchronization algorithm for bistatic synthetic aperture radar (BiSAR) imaging in a spaceborne/stationary configuration. In real bistatic systems, synchronization errors are generally introduced into the received data. Additionally, the lack of precise imaging parameters, such as the position of the transmitter and the accurate sampling time, could affect the imaging quality greatly. Fortunately, the image could be well focused by the proposed algorithm in the case of lack of the accurate position of a transmitter and the sampling time. First, a preprocessing step is employed to remove synchronization errors through matching an echo signal with a direct signal. Then, a modified chirp scaling factor containing an error phase term is constructed, and the accurate position of the transmitter and the sampling time can be acquired by the phase extraction of the direct signal and the searching method based on contrast optimization. After that, the corresponding imaging process can be implemented. Finally, the proposed algorithm is validated by the simulation and experimental results, where TerraSAR-X is used as the illuminator.

A NOVEL WAVENUMBER DOMAIN ALGORITHM FOR BISTATIC SAR IMAGING BASED ON EQUIVALENT MONOSTATIC MODEL

Compared with traditional monostatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR), bistatic SAR (BiSAR) has stronger advantages in terms of anti-interference and anti-strike abilities. However, the complex system structure of BiSAR brings new difficulties to imaging processing. In order to make the imaging algorithms of traditional monostatic SAR apply to BiSAR imaging as well, this paper proposes an equivalent monostatic model for BiSAR. This model mainly provides two benefits: (1) The equivalent monostatic range history has the form of hyperbolic function; (2) The equivalent monostatic velocity of any scattering point in the observed scene, with respect to the radar platform, is not only the same but also invariant with the equivalent monostatic range. Due to the above benefits, a novel wavenumber domain algorithm (WDA) is further proposed for BiSAR imaging. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is effective and feasible.