A Single-Antenna Method and Post-Processing Strategy for Radar Cross-Section Measurements at Near-Field Ranges.

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Applied Physics
• Antenna Theory and Design
• Radar Systems Engineering

Background:

• Near-field radar cross-section (RCS) measurements are crucial for characterizing targets.
• Traditional methods often struggle with environmental factors like multipath propagation.
• Accurate RCS determination in real-world conditions remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single-antenna technique for near-field RCS measurements in real environments.
• To introduce analytical corrections for near-field to far-field RCS conversion.
• To mitigate multipath effects and isolate target reflections.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes reflection coefficient measurements from a single antenna.
• Applies an analytical correction factor accounting for near-field and far-field RCS ratios.
• Incorporates edge diffraction effects at incidence angles > 20°.
• Employs an improved distance averaging technique to reduce multipath.
• Uses time-gating to isolate target reflections and exclude environmental contributions.

Main Results:

• Successfully validated the technique on a rectangular metallic plate.
• Demonstrated effectiveness over a wide frequency band and at various incidence angles.
• The method shows potential for application to arbitrarily shaped targets.

Conclusions:

• The proposed single-antenna technique provides accurate near-field RCS measurements in real environments.
• The analytical correction and multipath reduction methods enhance measurement reliability.
• The technique's adaptability suggests broad applicability in radar target characterization.