Radar and Remote Sensing

Knowledge and fundamental skills related to radar systems, remote sensing, inverse scattering, and microwave imaging as well as notions on antenna arrays for radar systems.

Knowledge and understanding: Acquisition of basic principles of radar detection and signal processing.

Applying knowledge and understanding: Ability to quantitatively solve radar detection problems in different scenarios. Solution of inverse and optimization problems.

Making judgements: Ability to identify and compare the most appropriate methods for studying real problems.

Communication skills: Ability to present orally. Ability to write a lab report using technical language.

Learning skills: Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line depending on specific circumstances required

The course includes both lectures and experimental laboratories to elaborate on the contents of the lessons.

Basic knowledge of signals theory and processing, linear systems, propagation.

Although lecture attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended. Highly recommended, for laboratory.

Radar Processing and Systems (4 CFU – 28 h)

Elements of Wave Propagation. The Radar Equation. Radar Cross Section. Radar Resolution. Doppler Frequency. Monopulse Radar. Radar Signals and Networks. Range Measurements and Tracking in Radar. Radar Measurements-Limiting Accuracy. Radar Equation with Jamming. Effects of the Earth’s Surface on the Radar Equation. Atmospheric Attenuation. The Matched Filter techniques and the Ambiguity function. Analog and Discrete Coded Waveforms. Filtering techniques. Radar Antennas, Arrays and Systems.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (2 CFU - 14 h)

Electromagnetic scattering models for remote sensing: natural surfaces and urban areas. Physical optics (PO) and geometrical optics (GO). Scan mode and spot mode (signal analysis and data processing). Strip Mode Transfer Function and Data Processing. Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry.

Microwave Imaging Techniques (1 CFU – 7h)

Ill-posedness and non-linearity. Regularization and linearized scattering models: Born, Rytov and Kirchhoff approximation. Minimum energy solution and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Optimization problems and Gradient based methods.

Topics lectures in collaboration with companies, universities and research centers (1 CFU – 7 h)

Automotive Radar / Direction Finding (Angle of Arrival)

Ground Penetrating Radar / Through-the-Wall Imaging

Microwave Medical Imaging / Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Radar / Mw-Mm Waves Diagnostics of Plasma

Laboratory (1 CFU – 25 h)

RADAR and SAR data processing with Matlab

Acquisition and processing of radar signals by means of a compact mm-waves radar prototype

RCS measurement of canonical target in anechoic chamber

Visit at Sigonella/Fontanarossa/Etna radar (INGV) base stations (in collaboration with ENAV–TechnoSky / US Navy / INGV)

1) Radar Priciples, Peyton Z. Peebles, John Wiley & Sons Inc

2) Radar signal analysis and processing using MATLAB, Bassem R. Mahafza, CRC Press

3) Radar Principles, Nadav Levanov, Wiley

4) Synthetic Aperture Radar Processing, G. Franceschetti and R. Lanari, CRC Press

5) Introduction to Inverse Problems in Imaging, M. Bertero , P. Boccacci , C. De Mol, Taylor & Francis.

Oral discussion of a final exercise work - Discussione di un elaborato finale