A new decomposition of radar polarization signatures

A method for the decomposition of radar polarization signatures is developed. The polarization backscattering model is assumed to consist of odd, double, Bragg, and cross backscattering components, and the Mueller matrix is the sum of the Mueller matrices of these four scattering mechanisms. The technique of least squares (LS) is then used to find the best combination of these four components. Using NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) AirSAR data, the results of the decomposition agree with the general understanding of radar backscatter. In most cases, the accuracy of the decomposition is more than 95% for linear polarizations and more than 85% for any other polarizations.

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