Propagation induced distortion of Wideband Waveform radar signals in dependence of polarisation and frequency

Wideband Waveform radar signals of Bandwidths in excess of 300 MHz are anticipated to play an important role in the emerging systems in radar remote sensing. In telecommunication and remote sensing applications, large-bandwidth signals are required for generating high channel capacity and data-transfer rates. In radar-imaging applications, large bandwidths are required for obtaining higher spatial resolution, for instance. The well-known benefits of wideband signals, however, are available only under the premise that the free-space propagation effects do not distort or impair the amplitude and phase composition of the different frequency components contained in such signals. Indeed, the so-called free-space is, however, often filled with precipitation media, such as rain. Contrary to popular belief, such media are capable of generating dispersion by causing unequal attenuation and phase-shift of the different frequency components present in the wideband signal. In this contribution, we shall report investigations in this regard.