MIMO Radar Clutter Modeling - MP 98-12

ABSTRACT: The goal of this project is to develop a site-specific physics-based model and simulation capability for MIMO radar clutter and to perform an extensive and exhaustive validation of the model through statistical and experimental data analysis. The foundation of our model is a physics-based bistatic scattering model (PBSM) capable of predicting clutter patch statistical properties including the probability distribution of clutter patch returns and their correlation properties as a function of frequency, time, space, polarization, and angle, given the radar sensor properties, site-specific observing geometry, and site-specific scattering environment characteristics. The PBSM will be incorporated into a MIMO radar system model and computer simulation tool capable of generating MIMO radar clutter samples. The MIMO radar system model will include multiple airborne platforms, a variety of waveforms, site-specific modeling of clutter patch geometry, and a variety of natural and urban clutter classes. The simulator will include a companion set of tools for statistical and experimental model validation and inference. Finally, the models will be extensively validated experimentally collected data. BENEFIT: The availability of realistic clutter models and simulated clutter data is critical for advanced system design and performance analysis for MIMO GMTI radar systems. This tool will provide such a capability, which currently does not exist.