WAVELET ANALYSIS OF RADAR ECHO FROM FINITE-SIZE TARGETS

The wavelet analysis technique is applied to analyze the frequency-domain electromagnetic backscattered signal from finite-size targets. Since the frequency-domain radar echo consists of both small-scale natural resonances and large-scale scattering center information, the multiresolution property of the wavelet transform is well suited for analyzing such multiscale signals. Wavelet analysis examples of backscattered data from an open-ended waveguide cavity and a plasma cylinder are presented. Compared with the conventional short-time Fourier transform, the wavelet transform provides a more efficient representation of both the early-time scattering center data and the late-time resonances. The different scattering mechanisms are clearly resolved in the time-frequency representation.