TOPSAR data focusing based on azimuth scaling preprocessing Original Research Article

Both Doppler spectral aliasing and azimuth output time folding simultaneously exist in TOPSAR (Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans) raw data. Resampling in both Doppler frequency and azimuth time domain can resolve the azimuth aliasing problem but with the seriously increased computational complexity and memory consumption. According to the special characteristics of TOPSAR raw data support in the slow time/frequency domain (TFD), the presented azimuth scaling preprocessing step is introduced to not only resolve the Doppler spectral aliasing problem but also reduce the increased azimuth samples. Furthermore, the correction of sawtoothed azimuth antenna pattern (AAP) becomes easy to be implemented. The following conventional stripmap processor can be adopted to focus the residual TOPSAR raw data but with the result of azimuth aliased TOPSAR image. The mosaic approach, which has been presented to unfold azimuth aliased ScanSAR image, is exploited to resolve the problem of azimuth output folding in TOPSAR mode. Simulation results and pulse response parameters are given to validate the presented imaging approach.