Multiple scattering in the high-frequency limit with second-order shadowing function from 2D anisotropic rough dielectric surfaces: I. Theoretical study

In this paper the first- and second-order Kirchhoff approximation is applied to study the backscattering enhancement phenomenon, which appears when the surface rms slope is greater than 0.5. The formulation is reduced to the geometric optics approximation in which the second-order illumination function is taken into account. This study is developed for a two-dimensional (2D) anisotropic stationary rough dielectric surface and for any surface slope and height distributions assumed to be statistically even. Using the Weyl representation of the Green function (which introduces an absolute value over the surface elevation in the phase term), the incoherent scattering coefficient under the stationary phase assumption is expressed as the sum of three terms. The incoherent scattering coefficient then requires the numerical computation of a ten- dimensional integral. To reduce the number of numerical integrations, the geometric optics approximation is applied, which assumes that the correlation between two adjacent points is very strong. The model is then proportional to two surface slope probabilities, for which the slopes would specularly reflect the beams in the double scattering process. In addition, the slope distributions are related with each other by a propagating function, which accounts for the second-order illumination function. The companion paper is devoted to the simulation of this model and comparisons with an 'exact' numerical method.     

Multiple scattering in the high-frequency limit with second-order shadowing function from 2D anisotropic rough dielectric surfaces: II. comparison with numerical results

Abstract

This second part presents illustrative examples of the model developed in the companion paper, which is based on the first- and second-order optics approximation. The surface is assumed to be Gaussian and the correlation height is chosen as anisotropic Gaussian. The incoherent scattering coefficient is computed for a height rms range from 0.5λ 1λwhere λ is the electromagnetic wavelength), for a slope rms range from 0.5 to 1 and for an incidence angle range from 0 to 70°. In addition, simulations are presented for an anisotropic Gaussian surface and when the receiver is not located in the plane of incidence. For a metallic and dielectric isotropic Gaussian surfaces, the cross- and co-polarizations are also compared with a numerical approach obtained from the forward.backward method with a novel spectral acceleration algorithm developed by Torrungrueng and Johnson (2001, JOSA A 18). (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)     

Multiple scattering in the high-frequency limit with second-order shadowing function from 2D anisotropic rough dielectric surfaces: II. comparison with numerical results

This second part presents illustrative examples of the model developed in the companion paper, which is based on the first- and second-order optics approximation. The surface is assumed to be Gaussian and the correlation height is chosen as anisotropic Gaussian. The incoherent scattering coefficient is computed for a height rms range from 0.5λ 1λwhere λ is the electromagnetic wavelength), for a slope rms range from 0.5 to 1 and for an incidence angle range from 0 to 70°. In addition, simulations are presented for an anisotropic Gaussian surface and when the receiver is not located in the plane of incidence. For a metallic and dielectric isotropic Gaussian surfaces, the cross- and co-polarizations are also compared with a numerical approach obtained from the forward.backward method with a novel spectral acceleration algorithm developed by Torrungrueng and Johnson (2001, JOSA A 18). (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)     

Bistatic scattering coefficient from one- and two-dimensional random surfaces using the stationary phase and scalar approximation with shadowing effect: comparisons with experiments and application to the sea surface

Abstract

In this paper, the bistatic scattering coefficient from one- and two-dimensional random surfaces using the stationary phase method and scalar approximation with shadowing effect is investigated. Both of these approaches use the Kirchhoff integral. With the stationary phase, the bistatic cross section is formulated in terms of the surface height joint characteristic function where the shadowing effect is investigated. In the case of the scalar approximation, the scattering function is computed from the previous characteristic function and in terms of expected values for the integrations over the slopes, where the shadowing effect is analysed analytically. Both of these formulations are compared with experimental data obtained from a Gaussian one-dimensional randomly rough perfectly-conducting surface. With the stationary-phase method, the results are applied to a two-dimensional sea surface.     

Scattering on rough surfaces with alpha-stable non-Gaussian height distributions

We study the electromagnetic scattering problem on a random rough surface when the height distribution of the profile belongs to the family of alpha-stable laws. This allows us to model peaks of very large amplitude that are not accounted for by the classical Gaussian scheme. For such probability distributions with infinite variance the usual roughness parameters such as the RMS height, the correlation length or the correlation function are irrelevant. We show, however, that these notions can be extended to the alpha-stable case and introduce a set of adapted roughness parameters that coincide with the classical quantities in the Gaussian case. Then we study the scattering problem on a stationary alpha-stable surface and compute the scattering coefficient under the first-order Kirchhoff and small-slope approximations. An analytical formula is given in the high-frequency limit, which generalizes the well known geometrical optics approximation. Some numerical results are given and discussed.     

Theoretical study of the Kirchhoff integral from a two-dimensional randomly rough surface with shadowing effect: application to the backscattering coefficient for a perfectly-conducting surface

Abstract

In this paper, the backscattering coefficient of a two-dimensional randomly rough perfectly-conducting surface is investigated using the Kirchhoff approach with a shadowing function. The rough surface height/slope correlations assumed to be Gaussian are accounted for in this analysis. The scattering coefficient is then formulated in terms of a characteristic function for the integrations over the surface heights, in terms of expected values for the integrations over the surface slopes. Numerical comparisons of Kirchhoff's approach (KA) with the stationary-phase (SP) approximation are made with respect to the choice of the one-dimensional surface height autocorrelation function and the shadowing effect. For an isotropic surface the results show that SP underestimated the incoherent backscattering coefficient compared with KA. Moreover, when the correlation between the slopes and the heights is neglected, the shadowing effect may be ignored.     

Analytical comparison between the surface current integral equation and the second-order small-slope approximation

Abstract

This paper is the third in a series discussing a new approximate bistatic model for electromagnetic scattering from perfectly conducting rough surfaces. Our previous approach supplemented the Kirchhoff model through the addition of new terms involving linear orders in slope and surface elevation differences that arise naturally from a second iteration of the surface current integral equation. This completion of the Kirchhoff was shown to provide the correct first-order small perturbation method (SPM-1) in the general bistatic context. The agreement with SPM-1 was achieved because differences of surface heights are no longer expanded in powers of surface slope. While consistent with SPM, our previous formulation fails to reconverge toward the Kirchhoff model, at some incidence and scattered angles, when the illuminated surface satisfies the high frequency roughness condition. This weakness is also shared with the first-order small slope approximation (SSA-1) which is structurally equivalent to our previous formulation where the polarization is independent of surface roughness. The second-order small slope approximation (SSA-2), which satisfies the SPM-1 and second-order small perturbation method (SPM-2) limits by construction, was shown by Voronovich to converge toward the tangent plane approximation of the Kirchhoff model under high frequency conditions. In the present paper, we show that, in addition to the linear orders in our previous model, one must now include cross-terms between slope and surface elevation to ensure convergence toward both high frequency and small perturbation limits. With the inclusion of these terms, our new formulation becomes comparable to the SSA-2 (second-order kernel) without the need to evaluate all the quadratic order slope and elevations terms. SSA-2 is more complete, however, in the sense that it guarantees convergence toward the second-order Bragg limit (SPM-2) in the fully dielectric case in addition to both SPM-1 and Kirchhoff. Our new generalization is shown to explain correctly extra depolarization in specular conditions to be caused by surface curvature and surface autocorrelation for incoherent and coherent scattering, respectively. This result will have large repercussions on the interpretation of bistatically reflected signals such as those from GPS.     

Bistatic scattering coefficient from one- and two-dimensional random surfaces using the stationary phase and scalar approximation with shadowing effect: comparisons with experiments and application to the sea surface

In this paper, the bistatic scattering coefficient from one- and two-dimensional random surfaces using the stationary phase method and scalar approximation with shadowing effect is investigated. Both of these approaches use the Kirchhoff integral. With the stationary phase, the bistatic cross section is formulated in terms of the surface height joint characteristic function where the shadowing effect is investigated. In the case of the scalar approximation, the scattering function is computed from the previous characteristic function and in terms of expected values for the integrations over the slopes, where the shadowing effect is analysed analytically. Both of these formulations are compared with experimental data obtained from a Gaussian one-dimensional randomly rough perfectly-conducting surface. With the stationary-phase method, the results are applied to a two-dimensional sea surface.     

Effect of the illumination length on the statistical distribution of the field scattered from one-dimensional random rough surfaces: analytical formulae derived from the small perturbation method

We consider a dielectric plane surface with a local cylindrical perturbation illuminated by a monochromatic plane wave. The perturbation is represented by a random function assuming values with a Gaussian probability density with zero mean value. Outside the perturbation zone, the scattered field can be represented by a superposition of a continuous spectrum of outgoing plane waves. The stationary phase method leads to the asymptotic field, the angular dependence of which is given by the scattering amplitudes of the propagating plane waves. The small perturbation method applied to the Rayleigh integral and the boundary conditions gives a first-order approximation of the scattering amplitudes. We show that the real part and the imaginary part of the scattering amplitudes are Gaussian stochastic variables with zero mean values and unequal variances. The values of variances depend on the length of the perturbation zone. In most cases, the probability density function for the amplitude is a Hoyt distribution and the phase is not uniformly distributed between -π and π. The standard Rayleigh and uniform distributions are obtained for special values of the length and in the case of an infinite illumination length.     

Effect of the illumination length on the statistical distribution of the field scattered from one-dimensional random rough surfaces: analytical formulae derived from the small perturbation method

We consider a dielectric plane surface with a local cylindrical perturbation illuminated by a monochromatic plane wave. The perturbation is represented by a random function assuming values with a Gaussian probability density with zero mean value. Outside the perturbation zone, the scattered field can be represented by a superposition of a continuous spectrum of outgoing plane waves. The stationary phase method leads to the asymptotic field, the angular dependence of which is given by the scattering amplitudes of the propagating plane waves. The small perturbation method applied to the Rayleigh integral and the boundary conditions gives a first-order approximation of the scattering amplitudes. We show that the real part and the imaginary part of the scattering amplitudes are Gaussian stochastic variables with zero mean values and unequal variances. The values of variances depend on the length of the perturbation zone. In most cases, the probability density function for the amplitude is a Hoyt distribution and the phase is not uniformly distributed between –π and π. The standard Rayleigh and uniform distributions are obtained for special values of the length and in the case of an infinite illumination length.     

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.     

A reciprocal phase-perturbation theory for rough-surface scattering

Abstract

We study the scattering of a scalar plane wave from a two-dimensional, randomly rough surface, on which the Dirichlet boundary condition is satisfied. The scattering amplitude is obtained in the form of the Fourier transform of an exponential, in which the exponent is written as an expansion in powers of the surface profile function. It is shown that the latter expansion can be written in such a way that the corresponding scattering matrix is manifestly reciprocal. Numerical results for the reflectivity, and for the contribution to the mean differential reflection coefficient from the incoherent component of the scattered field, are obtained and compared with the predictions of small-amplitude perturbation theory and the Kirchhoff approximation. As the wavelength of the incident wave is varied continuously the results of the phase-perturbation theory change continuously from those of the small-amplitude perturbation theory to those of the Kirchhoff approximation.     

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.     

Energy conservation of the scattering from one-dimensional random rough surfaces in the high-frequency limit

Energy conservation of the scattering from one-dimensional strongly rough dielectric surfaces is investigated using the Kirchhoff approximation with single reflection and by taking the shadowing phenomenon into account, both in reflection and transmission. In addition, because no shadowing function in transmission exists in the literature, this function is presented here in detail. The model is reduced to the high-frequency limit (or geometric optics). The energy conservation criterion is investigated versus the incidence angle, the permittivity of the lower medium, and the surface rms slope.     

一维粗糙面散射的射线追踪法研究

在考虑遮蔽效应的情况下,应用射线追踪法对一维导体和介质的高斯粗糙面的散射系数进行了研究,并分别计算了考虑一次反射和二次反射的散射系数。同时,利用蒙特卡罗法生成一维高斯粗糙面,计算了考虑一次、二次反射和遮蔽时不同均方根斜率粗糙面的平均散射系数。     

Two families of non-local scattering models and the weighted curvature approximation

Abstract

There are several nonlocal scattering models available in the literature. Most of them are given with little or no mention of their expected accuracy. Moreover, high- and low-frequency limits are rarely tested. The most important limits are the low-frequency or the small perturbation method (SPM) and the high-frequency Kirchhoff approximation (KA) or the geometric optics (GO). We are interested in providing some insight into two families of non-local scattering models. The first family of models is based on the Meecham–Lysanov ansatz (MLA). This ansatz includes the non-local small slope approximation (NLSSA) by Voronovich and the operator expansion method by Milder (OEM). A quick review of this first family of models is given along with a novel derivation of a series of kernels which extend the existing models to include some more fundamental properties and limits. The second family is derived from formal iterations of geometric optics which we call the ray tracing ansatz (RTA). For this family we consider two possible kernels. The first is obtained from iteration of the high-frequency Kirchhoff approximation, while the second is an iteration of the weighted curvature approximation (WCA). In the latter case we find that most of the required limits and fundamental conditions are fulfilled, including tilt invariance and reciprocity. A study of scattering from Dirichlet sinusoidal gratings is then provided to further illustrate the performance of the models considered.     

Analytical comparison between the surface current integral equation and the second-order small-slope approximation

This paper is the third in a series discussing a new approximate bistatic model for electromagnetic scattering from perfectly conducting rough surfaces. Our previous approach supplemented the Kirchhoff model through the addition of new terms involving linear orders in slope and surface elevation differences that arise naturally from a second iteration of the surface current integral equation. This completion of the Kirchhoff was shown to provide the correct first-order small perturbation method (SPM-1) in the general bistatic context. The agreement with SPM-1 was achieved because differences of surface heights are no longer expanded in powers of surface slope. While consistent with SPM, our previous formulation fails to reconverge toward the Kirchhoff model, at some incidence and scattered angles, when the illuminated surface satisfies the high frequency roughness condition. This weakness is also shared with the first-order small slope approximation (SSA-1) which is structurally equivalent to our previous formulation where the polarization is independent of surface roughness. The second-order small slope approximation (SSA-2), which satisfies the SPM-1 and second-order small perturbation method (SPM-2) limits by construction, was shown by Voronovich to converge toward the tangent plane approximation of the Kirchhoff model under high frequency conditions. In the present paper, we show that, in addition to the linear orders in our previous model, one must now include cross-terms between slope and surface elevation to ensure convergence toward both high frequency and small perturbation limits. With the inclusion of these terms, our new formulation becomes comparable to the SSA-2 (second-order kernel) without the need to evaluate all the quadratic order slope and elevations terms. SSA-2 is more complete, however, in the sense that it guarantees convergence toward the second-order Bragg limit (SPM-2) in the fully dielectric case in addition to both SPM-1 and Kirchhoff. Our new generalization is shown to explain correctly extra depolarization in specular conditions to be caused by surface curvature and surface autocorrelation for incoherent and coherent scattering, respectively. This result will have large repercussions on the interpretation of bistatically reflected signals such as those from GPS.     

Diffraction and scattering of TM plane waves from a binary periodic random surface

This paper deals with the diffraction and scattering of a TM plane wave from a binary periodic random surface generated by a stationary binary sequence using the stochastic functional approach. The scattered wave is represented by a product of an exponential phase factor and a periodic stationary process. Such a periodic stationary process is regarded as a stochastic functional of the binary sequence and is expressed by an orthogonal binary functional expansion with band-limited binary kernels. Then, hierarchical equations for the binary kernels are derived from the boundary condition without approximation. We point out that binary kernels obtained by a single scattering approximation diverge unphysically when the periodic random surface is zero on average, thus the effects of multiple scattering should be taken into account. The expressions of such binary kernels are obtained using the multiply renormalizing approximation. Then, statistical properties such as differential scattering cross-section and the optical theorem are numerically calculated with the first two order binary kernels and illustrated in the figures. It is found that the incoherent Wood's anomaly appears in the angular distribution of scattering even when the surface has zero average.     

Theoretical study of the Kirchhoff integral from a two-dimensional randomly rough surface with shadowing effect: application to the backscattering coefficient for a perfectly-conducting surface

In this paper, the backscattering coefficient of a two-dimensional randomly rough perfectly-conducting surface is investigated using the Kirchhoff approach with a shadowing function. The rough surface height/slope correlations assumed to be Gaussian are accounted for in this analysis. The scattering coefficient is then formulated in terms of a characteristic function for the integrations over the surface heights, in terms of expected values for the integrations over the surface slopes. Numerical comparisons of Kirchhoff's approach (KA) with the stationary-phase (SP) approximation are made with respect to the choice of the one-dimensional surface height autocorrelation function and the shadowing effect. For an isotropic surface the results show that SP underestimated the incoherent backscattering coefficient compared with KA. Moreover, when the correlation between the slopes and the heights is neglected, the shadowing effect may be ignored.     

二维粗糙海面的光散射及其红外成像

首先根据JONSWAP海面功率谱模型数值模拟出二维粗糙海面，采用几何光学近拟与基尔霍夫（Kirchhoff）标量近似计算了二维海面的光散射，计算中将每一面元看成一具有微粗糙度的粗糙面而不是近似地当作平面，并利用投影法与射线追踪法数值计算了一定入射角和散射角下的遮挡函数，有效地提高了海面光散射计算的精确性。最后利用太阳光的光谱辐照度数值模拟了海面的3μm-5μm红外散射图像，对于红外探测器抑制海面反射太阳光造成的亮带干扰具有一定的参考价值。