Time Domain Reflectivity Imaging - A New Technique

Time Domain Reflectivity Imaging (TDRi) is a new SAR-based imaging technique designed to provide vertical backscatter profiles through target volumes, such as forest canopies. With antennas aligned along the scan direction, data is collected as for normal SAR imaging. The wide real beam in the slant range direction is sharpened by addition of the elemental measurements across the synthetic aperture. By suitable phasing between the elements, the synthesized beam can be steered through a range of incidence angles within the angular extent of the real beam. Example experimental results collected with Cranfield University's Ground-Based SAR (GB-SAR) are shown for both forest canopies and snowpacks, and its application to the airborne case is discussed.