Root-MUSIC direction finding applied to multifrequency coastal radar

Recently several authors have examined the theoretical performance of the Root-MUSIC algorithm, which is a variation of the popular MUSIC algorithm applicable to a linear array of uniformly-spaced, identical elements (or a uniform circular array). It is thus more restricted than conventional MUSIC, but simulation studies indicate that Root-MUSIC (and related algorithms, such as ESPRIT) have performance advantages over ordinary MUSIC for such linear arrays. The receiving array of the University of Michigan´s Multifrequency Coastal Radar (MCR) is a linear array of 8 identical loops and thus is a good candidate for experimental study. Four-frequency data recorded during the COPE-3 experiment at Chesapeake Bay, Virginia during 1997 have been processed with Root-MUSIC as well as ordinary MUSIC and beam formation. Directional estimates for a calibration transponder at known locations processed with MUSIC and Root-MUSIC are compared. Root-MUSIC and MUSIC appear to give very similar results.