A coordinate–spectral method for rough surface scattering

Abstract

In this paper, we deal with the time-harmonic scattering by one-dimensional rough surfaces separating two homogeneous and isotropic media. The method is based on a rigorous integral formalism. The unknown of the integral equation is projected onto a Fourier basis while the equation itself is sampled as in a classical method of moments. The accuracy is tested against both other methods and experimental results. One of the main interests in choosing a Fourier basis lies in the ability to solve rigorously the scattering of a p polarized incident beam by a shallow metallic rough surface. The role of the surface waves is accurately taken into account and phenomena such as enhanced backscattering are well described. With this method, one can consider that the gap between the domain of validity of perturbation theories and the domain of practical use of rigorous methods is filled.     

Bistatic scattering and depolarization by randomly rough surfaces: application to the natural rough surfaces in X-band

Abstract

The scattering of waves by random rough surfaces has important applications in the remote sensing of oceans and land. The problem of developing a model for rough surfaces is very difficult since, at best, the scattering coefficient σ⁰ is dependent upon (at least) the radar frequency, geometrical and physical parameters, incident and observation angles, and polarization. The problem of electromagnetic scattering from a randomly rough surface is analysed using the Kirchhoff approximation (stationary phase, scalar approximation), the small-perturbation model and the two-scale models. A first major new consideration in this paper is the polarimetric signature calculations as a function of the transmitter location and receiver location for a bistatic radio-link. We calculate the like- and cross-polarized received power directly using the scattering coefficients, without calculating the Mueller matrix. Next, a study of the regions of validity of the Kirchhoff and small-perturbation rough surface scattering models (in the bistatic case) is presented. Comparisons between the numerical calculations and the models are made for various surface rms heights and correlation lengths both normalized to the incident wavenumber (denoted by σ and L, respectively). By using these two parameters to form a two-dimensional space, the approximate regions of validity are then established. The second major new consideration is the development of a theoretical two-scale model describing bistatic reflectivity as well as the numerical results computed for the bistatic radar cross section from rough surfaces especially from the sea and snow-covered surfaces. The results are used to show the Brewster angle effect on near-grazing angle scattering.     

Application of the finite element method to Monte Carlo simulations of scattering of waves by random rough surfaces: penetrable case

Abstract

The finite element method (FEM) of Monte Carlo simulations of random rough surface scattering is extended to penetrable rough surface scattering. The attraction of the method is the banded nature of the resulting matrix equation. The method yields a system of linear algebraic equations which is solved by a direct sparse symmetric matrix inversion. Convergence and accuracy of the method is demonstrated and established by varying various input parameters such as the number of evanescent waves, the number of sampling points and the surface lengths. Results with incident plane wave TE polarization are presented for both the mean reflected scattered intensity and the mean transmitted scattered intensity as a function of surface parameters such as RMS surface heights and correlation lengths. The numerical results are compared against the tapered wave integral equation (TWIE) method. The results of a tapered wave solution of the integral equation averaging over many realizations are in good numerical agreement with FEM if large surface lengths are used in the integral equation method. It is found that a large surface length is required in the TWIE method to have a narrow incident angular spectlum to accurateiy predict the transmitted scattered intensity, whereas a relatively small surface length is sufficient in the FEM. The total CPU time and memory storage requirements for the FEM are much less than that of the TWIE method for eases when the number of horizontal sampling points is much larger than the number of vertical sampling points in the region of discretization. The percentage error in conservation of energy for the FEM is shown to be less than 0.4% for all the examples presented. The total CPU time, memory storage requirements and the percentage error comparisons between the FEM and the TWIE are presented.     

Electromagnetic propagation in a curved two-dimensional waveguide

Abstract

Fields due to an electromagnetic wave propagating in a long irregular two-dimensional waveguide are calculated efficiently, using the method of left-right splitting to solve the coupled integral equations. Results are compared with those obtained from independent ray-theoretic calculations and give very close agreement. The approach has previously been applied to rough surfaces at low angles of incidence; here it is found to converge rapidly for surface slopes of 30°, and after a few iterations for incident angles up to 60° from grazing.     

Comment on ‘X-ray scattering from a randomly rough surface’

Abstract

Recently, in this journal, Leskova and Maradudin published a new method for calculating x-ray scattering from a rough surface. In this comment their results will be compared with those obtained by other methods, especially the distorted-wave Born approximation. It is concluded that their results are useful in the limit of small transverse correlation length of the surface roughness. For intermediate values of the correlation length the results of both approximations are equivalent, being valid for small root-mean-square roughness and/or large incident perpendicular wavevector. In the case of large correlation length, neither approximation is correct. It is noted that the new method includes cross-polarization effects.     

Short pulse backscattering by a rough surface: analytical results and computer simulation of travel times and intensities of the earliest arrivals

Statistical properties of travel times and intensities of the first two arrivals of short pulses backscattered by a Gaussian rough surface in two-dimensions are obtained by computer simulation. Two specific cases are investigated: a collimated incident beam that is sufficiently wide with a plane wavefront, and a spherical wavefront generated by a point source located sufficiently far from the surface. The simulated results obtained are in a good agreement with theoretical estimates published recently by Fuks and Godin (see Waves in Random and Complex Media, 2004, 14 (2004) 539–562).     

Pulse broadening of enhanced backscattering from rough surfaces

Abstract

Recently, we presented a study of pulse scattering by rough surfaces based on the first-order Kirchhoff approximation which is applicable to rough surfaces with RMS slope less than 0.5 and correlation distance l?λ. However, there has been an increased interest in enhanced backscattering from rough surfaces, study of which requires inclusion of the second-order Kirchhoff approximation with shadowing corrections. This paper presents a theory for the two-frequency mutual coherence function in this region and shows that the multiple scattering on the surface gives rise to an additional pulse tail in the direction of enhanced backscattering. The theory predicts pulse broadening approximately 20% greater than that caused by single scattering alone for a delta-function incident pulse and typical surface parameters. Analytical results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations and millimetre-wave experiments for the one-dimensional rough surface with RMS height 1λ and correlation distance 1λ, showing good agreement.     

Pulse broadening and two-frequency mutual coherence function of the scattered wave from rough surfaces

Abstract

Analytical expressions for the two-frequency mutual coherence function and angular correlation function of the scattered wave from rough surfaces based on the Kirchhoff approximation are presented. The coherence bandwidth depends on the illumination area as well as on the incident and scattered angles and the surface characteristics. Scattered pulse shapes are calculated as the Fourier transform of the two-frequency mutual coherence function. Calculations based on analytical solutions are compared with millimetre wave experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations showing good agreement.     

Directional hemispherical radiative properties of random dielectric rough surfaces

In this paper the directional hemispherical reflectivity and transmissivity of one-dimensional, randomly rough, dielectric surfaces are determined by the use of the integral method. This method is derived from electromagnetic theory without any restrictive hypotheses. Since this exact approach is computationally very intensive, a geometric optics approximation method is also developed. Curves displaying radiative properties versus the correlation length for a constant mean square deviation of the surface from flatness are presented. In this respect, the influence on the validity of the approximate method of multiple scattering, the shadowing effect and the real index of refraction of the dielectric have been investigated. Transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarized incident plane waves are considered. For the latter, our interest is focused on the influence of roughness on the reflected and transmitted intensities for an angle of incidence close to the Brewster angle.     

Influence of ionospheric irregularities on the form of radio signal scattering spectrum in over-the-horizon radar sounding of the rough sea surface

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the backscattering of HF radio waves from the rough sea surface, which have propagated through the ionosphere with random large-scale irregularities.

For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed in calculations that the rough sea surface is a perfectly conducting surface with the known Philips power spectrum of irregularities. Ionospheric irregularities of a random medium that are isotropic and single-scale ones, with a Gaussian spectrum, are considered within the limits of the hypothesis of frozen-in irregularities.

Within the first approximation of perturbation theory, using, as the incident wave and the Green function, their geometrical-optics approximations, we obtained the expression for the backscattering spectrum of the ionospheric chirp radio signal with a Gaussian envelope. The expression involves the parameters of the receive–transmit antenna, the signal, the propagation medium, and of the scattering surface. Numerical simulation was used to investigate the influence of all the above-mentioned parameters on the backscattering spectrum. It is shown that travel of ionospheric irregularities has the largest influence on the scattering spectrum, the signal parameters mainly determine the size of the scattering area in the range, and the form of the coherent integration window determines the form of the received signal and can distort it.     

Polarization characteristics of an electromagnetic wave scattered from a slightly random surface: +45° polarized incidence

Abstract

The present paper deals with the scattering of an obliquely polarized electromagnetic (EM) wave from a slightly rough surface, which is assumed to be a two-dimensional (2D), homogeneous and isotropic Gaussian random field. In contrast to the cases of TE(s) and TM(p) polarized incidence, the scattering profile for an obliquely polarized incidence is not symmetric with respect to the incident plane, despite the fact that the random surface is statistically isotropic.     

Acoustic scattering from a rough sea surface: the mean field by the integral equation method

The scattering of an acoustic signal incident from below at low angles on a rough sea surface is treated by the integral equation method in the parabolic approximation. Equations are obtained allowing the mean scattered field to be calculated even when the surface causes a large phase modulation in the incident wave. Solutions are found using the method of Laplace transforms and some results are presented for a specific type of rough surface.     

Gaussian beam scattering from arbitrarily shaped objects with rough surfaces

Abstract

The scattered field of Gaussian beam scattering from arbitrarily shaped dielectric objects with rough surfaces is investigated for optical and infrared frequencies by using the plane wave spectrum method and the Kirchhoff approximation, and the formulae for the coherent and incoherent scattering cross sections are obtained theoretically based on geometrical optics and tangent plane approximations. The infrared laser scattering cross sections of a rough sphere are calculated at 1.06 μm, and the influence of the beam size is analysed numerically. It is shown that when the beam size is much larger than the size of the object, the results in this paper will be close to those of an incident plane wave.     

Detection of a scatter target over a randomly rough surface by using the angular correlation function in a finite-element approach

Abstract

It is known that the angular correlation function of scattered fields from a randomly rough surface has a conspicuous enhancement on the memory line, and becomes much smaller away from the line. The finite-element method is employed to solve the problem of scattering from a scatter target situated over a randomly rough surface. Numerical results show that the width of the angular correlation function becomes broadened owing to the presence of the target. It can be used to detect the presence of a target placed over the rough surface.     

A numerical evaluation of Rayleigh's theory applied to scattering by randomly rough dielectric surfaces

Abstract

We present a numerical simulation of scattering by one-dimensional randomly rough surfaces. It is based on the use of plane-wave expansions to describe the Melds on the surface (i.e. Rayleigh hypothesis). Accuracy and convergence properties of two different numerical implementations are studied. Some examples of results for a dielectric and a metallic Gaussian rough surface are shown to be in good agreement with calculations by a rigorous numerical method. The Rayleigh method appears to be a fast computation tool for dielectric surfaces with slopes of less than 0.2.     

Extension of the local curvature approximation to third order and improved tilt invariance

The second-order local curvature approximation (LCA2) is a theory of rough surface scattering that reproduces fundamental low and high frequency limits in a tilted frame of reference. Although the existing LCA2 model provides agreement with the first order small perturbation method up to the first order in surface tilt, results reported in this paper produce a new formulation of the model that achieves consistency with perturbation theory to first order in surface height and arbitrary order in surface tilt. In addition, extension of the modified LCA to third order is presented, and allows the theory to match the second-order small perturbation method to arbitrary order in surface tilt. Crucial to the development of the theory are a set of identities involving relationships among the small perturbation method (i.e. low frequency) and Kirchhoff approximation (i.e. high frequency) kernels; a set of new identities obtained in our derivations is also presented. Sample results involving 3D electromagnetic scattering from penetrable rough surfaces, as well as 2D scattering from Dirichlet sinusoidal gratings, are provided to compare the new results with the existing LCA2 model and with other rough surface scattering theories.     

An iterative method for scattering from rough dielectric or conducting interfaces

Abstract

We introduces an iterative method for scattering a two-dimensional scalar wave from a rough interface between two media. The method is applicable to the case of electromagnetic scattering from a rough metallic or dielectric surface that varies only in one dimension. The first iteration is equivalent to the Kirchhoff approximation, and the series converges in one step for a flat surface. We discuss the conditions for convergence, and find that they are similar to those which Meecham showed to be necessary in the Dirichlet case.     

Numerical,analytical, and experimental studies of scattering from very rough surfaces and backscattering enhancement

Abstract

This paper Presents numerical simulations, theoretical analysis, and millimeter wave experiments for scattering from one-dimensional very rough surfaces. First, numerical simulations are used to investigate the effects of roughness spectrum, height variation, interface medium, polarization, and incident angle on the backscattering enhancement. The enhanced backscattering due to rough surface scattering is divided into two cases; the RMS height close to a wavelength and RMS slope close to unity, and RMS height much smaller than a wavelength with surface wave contributions. Results also show that the enhancement is sensitive to the roughness spectrum. Next, a theory based on the first- and second-order Kirchhoff approximation modified with angular and propagation shadowing is developed. The theoretical solutions provide a physical explanation of backscattering enhancement and agree well with the numerical results. In addition to the scattering of a monochromatic wave, the analytical results of the broadening and lateral spreading of a pulsed beam wave scattering from rough surfaces are also discussed. Finally, the existence of backscattering enhancement from one-dimensional very rough conducting surfaces with exact Gaussian statistics and Gaussian roughness spectrum is verified by a millimeter-wave experiment. Experimental results which show enhanced backscattering for both TE and TM polarizations for different angles of incidence are presented.     

Scattering of an electromagnetic wave from a slightly random dielectric surface: Yoneda peak and Brewster angle in incoherent scattering

Abstract

The scattering of an electromagnetic wave from a two-dimensional, slightly rough dielectric surface is studied based on the stochastic functional approach. It is shown that in the case of TM(p)-polarized incidence there exists a zero in the incoherent scattering at the angle we call the ‘Brewster scattering angle’, which depends on the incident angle in contrast to the Brewster angle of coherent reflection which is independent of the incident angle, that a ‘quasi-anomalous scattering’ can generally occur in the optically denser medium at the critical angle of total reflection in both TE(s)- and TM(p)-polarized incidence, regardless of which side of the random surface is illuminated, and that the Yoneda peak in the x-ray scattering can be interpreted as a special case of the quasi-anomalous scattering which becomes sharper when the relative refractive index becomes closer to unity as in the x-ray region. Cross-polarized scattering and enhanced backscattering due to the second-order effect are also calculated.