Determination of radar target scattering center transfer functions from measured data

Development of successful radar target discrimination schemes using ultrawideband signatures hinges on an accurate understanding of the scattering behavior of complicated radar targets. In the time domain, a target response consists of an early-time component, which is localized and specular in nature, followed by a late-time natural mode series describing the global characteristics of the target. The temporal shape of specular responses depends on the localized geometry of the target; the sharp edge of an aircraft wing will produce a different event than the curved edge of a fuselage. This paper describes a simple technique for determining the localized transfer functions of a target from its measured time or frequency-domain response.