Model simulation and eigen-analysis for polarimetric scattering from tree canopy in SAR imagery

In this paper, a theoretical model of multi-level, non-spherical scatterers is developed for fully polarimetric scattering from tree canopy in SAR imaging at C band. The amplitude functions of non-spherical particles with randomly spatial orientation are derived by the generalized Rayleigh-Gans (GRG) approximation. The non-diagonal extinction matrix and the Mueller matrix solution are constructed. Numerical solutions of polarimetric scattering of four Stokes parameters from random, non-spherical scatterers are obtained. To physically identify polarimetric scattering of the Mueller matrix solution, the coherency matrix and its eigen-analysis are discussed. Functional dependence of the coherency matrix and entropy upon various parameters are obtained. As an application, the analysis of AirSAR images at P, L, C bands is discussed.