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Radar

This document discusses radar cross section (RCS) and how it is affected by different target shapes and propagation effects. It provides details on the RCS of spheres, cone-spheres, and long wires. It explains that RCS depends on the target dimensions compared to wavelength and can vary in the Rayleigh, optical, and resonance regions. Propagation can increase radar range through reflections, refraction, ducting, and minimal attenuation.

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Shrey Jain
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94 views15 pages

Radar

This document discusses radar cross section (RCS) and how it is affected by different target shapes and propagation effects. It provides details on the RCS of spheres, cone-spheres, and long wires. It explains that RCS depends on the target dimensions compared to wavelength and can vary in the Rayleigh, optical, and resonance regions. Propagation can increase radar range through reflections, refraction, ducting, and minimal attenuation.

Uploaded by

Shrey Jain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Unit 8

Radar Targets

1
Contents

• Radar Cross Section of Targets


• RCS of Sphere
• RCS of Cone-sphere
• RCS of Long Wire/Rod
Propagation Effects
• Propagation effects can increase as well as decrease the free-space range.

• The major effects of propagation on radar performance are:


– Reflections from the earth’s surface, which cause the breakup of the antenna
elevation pattern into lobes

– Refraction or bending of the propagation wave by the variation of the


atmosphere’s refraction index as a function of altitude, which usually increases
the radar’s range.

– Propagation in atmospheric ducts, which can significantly increase the range at


low altitudes

– Attenuation in clear atmosphere or in precipitation, which usually negligible at


most radar frequencies

3
Radar Cross Section of Targets
• RCS, σ is the property of a scattering object, or
target which represents the magnitude of the
echo signal returned to the radar by the target.

𝑅𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑟


𝑃𝑡 𝐺 𝜎
= .
4𝜋𝑅 4𝜋𝑅2
2

4
Scattering Region : Rayleigh
• RCS depends on the characteristic dimensions of the object compared to
the radar wavelength.
• Rayleigh Region (D < λ i.e. D/ λ <1)
– Object’s dimension is smaller than the wavelength.

– RCS α f4 ( RCS proportional to the fourth


power of frequency)

– Determined more by the volume than


the object’s shape

– Echo from rain is usually


described by the Rayleigh scattering

5
Scattering Region : Optical
• Optical Region (D > λ i.e. D/ λ > 1)
– Object’s dimension is larger than the wavelength

– Determined more by the object’s shape than the projected


area

– Echo from airplanes, ships is usually described by the


optical scattering

6
Scattering Region : Resonance
• Resonance Region (D ~ λ i.e. D/ λ ~ 1)
– Object’s dimension is comparable to the wavelength

– Lies between the Rayleigh and optical regions

– RCS of most objects appears larger in the resonance region


than the other two regions

7
RCS of Sphere (1)
• Simplest object → same shape no matter
what the aspect

• The object’s dimension 𝐷 = 2𝜋𝑎


(circumference) where ‘a’ is the radius.

2𝜋𝑎
• RCS is calculated as function of
𝜆

8
RCS of Sphere (2)
• RCS is normalized with
the projected area, 𝜋𝑎2

2𝜋𝑎
• Rayleigh Region ( ≪
𝜆
1):
– RCS increases as f4
– Frequency increases, λ
decreases, and RCS
increases exponentially

9
RCS of Sphere (3)
2𝜋𝑎
• Optical Region ( ≫
𝜆
1):
– RCS approaches physical
area of sphere
– This happens only for
sphere.

– The illumination is from


the tip rather than from the
entire hemisphere

10
RCS
2𝜋𝑎
of Sphere (3)
• Resonance Region ( = 1):
𝜆
– RCS oscillates as a function of
frequency

– Two waves interfere constructively


and destructively
• 1st : direct reflection
• 2nd : creeping wave that travels
around the back of the sphere and
returns to the radar where it interacts
with the reflected wave

– The longer the electrical path


around the sphere, greater the loss,
smaller the magnitude of frequency
fluctuation
11
RCS of Cone Sphere (1)
• Cone whose base is shaped
as a sphere

• Echoes come from


– The tip of the cone

– The join between the cone


and the sphere

– The creeping wave that


travels around the sphere

12
RCS of Cone Sphere (2)
• In practice, tip ≠ 0 radius, its
more rounded

• With small λ, the surface


roughness will be significant
portion of wavelength.

• Therefore with increasing


frequency, the RCS will level-
off rather than decrease

13
RCS of Cone Sphere (3)
• The cross section of the
cone-sphere can be very low
from nose-on to near normal
incidence on the side of the
cone.

• From the rear, the cross-


section is that of a sphere,
hence it is much larger than
the cross-section viewed
from the front
14
RCS of Long Wire/ Rod
• When viewed broadside (θ=900), the RCS is large.

• As the viewing angle θ departs from 900, the RCS decreases.

• An angle is reached where the backscatter levels off and then increases again.

• This is due to a surface travelling wave.

• The incident EM wave couples onto the wire which then travels the length of the
wire and reflects from the discontinuity at the far end.

15

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