Range migration compensation in static digital-beamforming-on-receive radar

Range migration is a well-known, and readily compensable, phenomenon in synthetic-aperture radar. Under certain circumstances, it may also afflict phased array radar systems based on fixed antenna elements, but there is little or no literature on its occurrence in this type system, nor how it may be addressed. This study sets out to define the conditions in which range migration is a significant issue in phased array radar systems and how it may be mitigated, in particular concentrating on step frequency and frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar for which range migration is not so easily addressed. Results are presented to validate the approach based both on simulation and experimental data from ground-penetrating radar systems performing two-dimensional through-ice imaging in Antarctica.