A generalized polar processing algorithm for large area SAR images

A general form of polar processing, termed general polar processing (GPP), that is of comparable efficiency to the standard polar processing (SPP) and is useful over significantly larger patches is derived. An example is given that shows that the maximum quadratic phase error of the new method is less than pi /2 for much larger patches than for SPP. Computer-generated images of point scatterers demonstrate better focusing and decreased translational errors for the new method. In specific applications, the larger available patch size can lead to more efficient synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system designs as well as improved image quality.<>