Development of an efficient numerical set-up to predict the performance of ground-penetrating-radar systems for on-site Earth and planetary applications

The aim of this study is to assess the features of a numerical tool able to predict in an efficient and accurate way the performance of a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in many typical on-site Earth and planetary applications. Suitable implementation of a computer-aided-design (CAD) package is carried out by accounting for the most critical aspects of the GPR behavior (e.g., antenna elements, signal waveforms, physical characteristics of host media and scatterers). Representative examples of different application scenarios have been developed and tested. Full validation is achieved also by means of appropriate comparisons derived through ad-hoc experimental set-up.