The Influence of Target Micromotion on SAR and GMTI

Abstract

This paper analyzes the influence of typical target micromotions on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, azimuth resolution limit, SAR/ground moving target indication (GMTI), and MTI. According to the micromotion periods contained in the coherent processing interval, a new range model expansion and a generalized paired echo principle are proposed and applied to underlie the analysis. Several new kinds of image characteristics including gray strips, ghost points, and fences are reported, which are sheerly distinct from those of slow movers. Micromotion will also cause a prominent range cell migration even if its amplitude is far smaller than the range resolution. SAR/GMTI and MTI techniques will, in general, become invalid for micromotion targets. The influence is eventually demonstrated by the simulated data in the airborne single-channel geometry, and it can be used for SAR image interpretation as well as passive jamming.