Ultra-wideband continuous-wave random noise arc-SAR

A coherent ultra-wideband random noise radar system operating in the 1-2-GHz frequency range has been developed at the University of Nebraska. A unique signal processing procedure based on heterodyne correlation techniques preserves phase coherence within the system, thereby enabling it to be used for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. Data acquisition is performed using a rotating boom with antennas installed atop a van containing radar equipment. This setup facilitates a simple and low-cost mobile SAR implementation, best suited for short-range quasi-stripmap Arc-SAR imaging. The use of ultra-wideband signals provides reasonable resolution of the obtained imagery. The amplitude and the phase response of the system are used to form the frequency-domain target scattering profile matrix, which are then transformed into a SAR image. The paper discusses the theory of SAR imaging using random noise signals and presents a detailed description of the radar and experimental imagery obtained using this system.