VHF/UHF ultra-wideband measurements of scattering targets in foliage

Summary form only given. A system was designed to investigate several performance parameters of UWB (ultrawideband) foliage penetration and radar scattering in the VHF-UHF frequency range. The goals of the experiment included: (1) a study of UWB radar propagation through foliage, including both attenuation and dispersion of this coherent wideband energy; (2) a study of the clutter scattering from the woods under wideband coherent illumination; (3) a study of the distortion in the target impulse signature caused by interactions with nearby trees and foliage; and (4) a study of seasonal and possibly diurnal changes for the UWB case. The system used the Big Ear radio telescope as a support structure for SAR (synthetic aperture radar) images. Coherent SAR images were generated for the woods with several targets included in the scene. The data provide information over 200 MHz to 2000 MHz and for HH, HV, and VV polarizations.<>