Electromagnetic imaging of infinite dielectric cylinders using a modified Born approximation and including a priori information on the unknown cross sections

A numerical approach to active microwave imaging of infinite dielectric cylinders illuminated by TM waves is considered. Instead of handling the general nonlinear formulation of inverse scattering, we exploit a priori information about the cross section of an object under test. An ideal model of the object is assumed to be known, and the unknown cross section can be satisfactorily reconstructed by using a modified Born approximation, if the actual permittivity distribution is not very different from the a priori estimated one. A multi-illumination-angle multiview approach based on the use of the moment method and on a regularisation procedure is used that allows us to implement a computationally efficient algorithm. The accuracy and limitations of the method have been evaluated via computer simulations