Adaptive speckle filters and scene heterogeneity

The presence of speckle in radar images makes the radiometric and textural aspects less efficient for class discrimination. Many adaptive filters have been developed for speckle reduction, the most well known of which are analyzed. It is shown that they are based on a test related to the local coefficient of variation of the observed image, which describes the scene heterogeneity. Some practical criteria are introduced to modify the filters in order to make them more efficient. The filters are tested on a simulated synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image and an SAR-580 image. As was expected, the new filters perform better, i.e. they average the homogeneous areas better and preserve texture information, edges, linear features, and point target responses better at the same time. Moreover, they can be adapted to features other than the coefficient of variation to reduce the speckle while preserving the corresponding information     

A review of speckle filtering in the context of estimation theory

Speckle filter performance depends strongly on the speckle and scene models used as the basis for filter development. These models implicitly incorporate certain assumptions about speckle, scene, and observed signals. In this study, the multiplicative and the product speckle models, which have been used for the development of most of the well-known filters, are analyzed, and their implicit assumptions with regard to the stationarity-nonstationarity nature of speckle are discussed. This leads to the definition of two categories of speckle filters: the stationary and the nonstationary multiplicative speckle model filters. The various approximate models used for the multiplicative speckle noise model are assessed as functions of speckle and scene characteristics to derive the requirements on scene signal variations for the validity of both the stationary and nonstationary multiplicative speckle models. Speckle filtering is then studied in the context of estimation theory, so as to develop a procedure for speckle filtering. It is shown that speckle filtering can be effective only in locally stationary scenes. Regions in which the signals are not stationary have to be filtered separately using a priori scene templates for the best matching of nonstationary scene features. The use of multiresolution techniques is crucial for accurate estimation of filter parameters. Under the guidance of the speckle filtering procedure, structural-multiresolution versions of the Lee (1980) and Frost et al. (1982) filters are developed for optimum application of these filters in the context of nonstationary scene signals.     

Segmentation of textured polarimetric SAR scenes by likelihood approximation

A hierarchical stepwise optimization process is developed for polarimetric synthetic aperture radar image segmentation. We show that image segmentation can be viewed as a likelihood approximation problem. The likelihood segment merging criteria are derived using the multivariate complex Gaussian, the Wishart distribution, and the K-distribution. In the presence of spatial texture, the Gaussian-Wishart segmentation is not appropriate. The K-distribution segmentation is more effective in textured forested areas. The validity of the product model is also assessed, and a field-adaptable segmentation strategy combining different criteria is examined.     

Characterization of target symmetric scattering using polarimetric SARs

Cameron's coherent target decomposition (CTD) theory and the classification method that Cameron developed for operational use of his CTD are reconsidered. It is shown that Cameron's classification leads to a coarse scattering segmentation because of the large class dispersion that corresponds to a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system with about /spl plusmn/8-dB channel imbalance. The application of Cameron's method within known SAR radiometric calibration requirements limits the utility of the classification. In addition, Cameron's classification is applied under the implicit assumption on the coherence nature of target scattering, and this might yield erroneous results within areas of noncoherent scattering. A new method, named the symmetric scattering characterization method (SSCM), is introduced to better exploit the information provided by the largest target symmetric scattering component in the context of coherent scattering. The Poincare/spl acute/ sphere is used as the basis for a more complete representation of symmetric scattering than Cameron's unit disk, thus enabling the SSCM to generate better segmentation of target symmetric scattering with much higher resolution. In order to limit the application of the SSCM to targets of coherent scattering, new methods are developed for assessment and validation of the coherent nature of point and extended target scattering.     

Realisation of ‘Solar Blind’ AlGaN Photodetectors: Measured and calculated spectral response

Al_xGa_1−xN solar blind photoconductors are fabricated and characterized. The cutoff wavelength of these detectors is as low as 275 and 271 nm with aluminium fraction of 49.6 and 54.1%, respectively. The used AlGaN active layers were grown on (0001) sapphire substrates by low pressure metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (LP-MOCVD). The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of X-ray rocking curve from (0002) diffraction indicates the good quality of these samples. Optical properties are investigated with photoluminescence and absorption measurements. The variation of the spectral response with applied voltage and modulation frequency is investigated. Better results are obtained with 12 Hz and 20 V. Compared to other researches, a high rejection ratio is obtained. The simulation of the photoresponse using the voltage dependent responsivity allows the determination of the carrier lifetime. We obtained a value of 0.15 and 0.13 ms for x=0.49 and 0.54, respectively.     

Consideration of antenna gain and phase patterns for calibration ofpolarimetric SAR data

A general polarimetric model for orbital and Earth synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems that explicitly includes key radar architecture elements and is not dependent on the reciprocity assumption is developed. The model includes systems whose receiving configuration is independent of the transmitted polarization (one configuration), as well as systems with two distinct receiving configurations, depending on the commanded transmitted polarization (H or V). Parameters that are independent of target illumination angle and those with illumination angle dependence are considered separately, allowing calibration approaches which are valid for targets at different illumination angles. The calibration methods presented make use of the model linearity to provide tests for the radar model accuracy and for SAR data quality. X-band polarimetric SAR are used to validate the theory and illustrate the calibration approach. The extension of the model and calibration method to other radar systems is discussed     

On the use of permanent symmetric scatterers for ship characterization

The symmetric scattering characterization method (SSCM) has been recently introduced for high-resolution characterization of certain targets under coherent conditions. SSCM is based on the Poincare/spl acute/ sphere representation, which supports a high-resolution decomposition of symmetric target scattering, as well as assessment and validation of the backscatter coherence. In this paper, the SSCM is investigated for ship characterization using Convair-580 polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. It is shown that the target Poincare/spl acute/ parameters permit identification of dominant scatterers with a significant symmetric scattering component. The polarization orientation angle of these quasi-symmetric scatterers is used to derive an estimate of the ship's pitch angle, under certain conditions. The effect of SAR system focus setting errors and Doppler centroid mistracking on the SSCM performance is investigated. It is shown that the SSCM is sensitive to the system focus setting and Doppler centroid shift. The first-order effects of these errors can be removed prior to the application of the SSCM method.     

Extraction of point target response characteristics from complexSAR data

The peak method currently used for the phase measurement of a point target signal, which takes the phase of the peak reflector response as the signal phase estimate, is analyzed and shown to be sensitive to focus. A novel method based on the integration of complex data is proposed for the extraction of signal parameters of a point target in the presence of clutter. This method, called the complex integration method, is shown to be nearly insensitive in both phase and magnitude to processor focus