An Efficient SAR Raw Signal Simulator Accounting for Large Trajectory Deviation.

Area of Science:

• Remote Sensing
• Signal Processing
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) raw signal simulators are crucial for algorithm development and system verification.
• Existing simulators struggle with significant trajectory deviations, limiting their applicability for nonlinear flight paths.
• Accurate simulation of SAR raw signals under trajectory deviation is essential for advanced applications like motion compensation and image formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an efficient SAR raw signal simulator that accurately accounts for large trajectory deviations.
• To overcome the limitations of existing simulators when dealing with nonlinear SAR trajectories.
• To provide a robust simulation tool for SAR systems operating with significant deviations.

Main Methods:

• Spatial spectrum analysis of SAR raw signals to understand the 2D spatial frequency spectrum as a circular arc.
• Calculation of SAR raw signals via curvilinear integral in the 2D frequency domain.
• Leveraging the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for computational efficiency.

Main Results:

• The proposed method precisely simulates SAR raw signals even with large deviation radii, outperforming existing techniques.
• Demonstrated significantly lower computational complexity compared to time-domain methods due to FFT utilization.
• Validated applicability across multiple SAR modes, diverse waveforms, and various system parameters like beam width and squint angle.

Conclusions:

• The developed SAR raw signal simulator effectively handles large trajectory deviations, offering superior accuracy and efficiency.
• This method enhances the capability for simulating SAR data in complex, nonlinear scenarios.
• The simulator's versatility and performance make it a valuable tool for SAR research and development.