Multiple target detection and estimation by exploiting the amplitude modulation induced by antenna scanning. I. Parameter estimation

This work deals with the problem of estimating the parameters of multiple targets present in the some range-mimuth resolution cell of a surveillance radar. The maximum likelihood (ML) and the asymptotic ML (AML) estimators w e derived. Houjever, they may be too computationally h e a y for surveillance applications. To maximize the nonlineor two-dimensional criterion of the AML estimator we propose a compictarionally eflcienr algorithm based on the RELAXation method. The proposed method overcomes the resolution limitation of the classicol monopulse technique and allows to resolve multiple targets exhibiting an arbitrarily small difference in uzimuth as long as their Doppler frequencies differ by a fraction of the intrinsic resolution of the system. The performance of the proposed AML-RELAXestimator i. v numerically investigated through Monte Carlo simulation and Cramer-Rao lower bound calculation.