Non-Canonical Integral Transforms for Multistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Video SAR for Target Motion

The majority of monostatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image formation schemes utilise a line integral approach. However elliptical/ellipsoidal, circular and spherical integral transforms can be utilised to mathematically model bi-static/multi-static systems. This, coupled with iterative reconstruction and novel regularisation schemes, will tackle complex scattering phenomenology, resulting in fine resolution images and providing more information about the scene – such as about anisotropic scatterers.

This PhD will go on to consider SAR image formation of dynamic scenes. In mono- and bi-static SAR, objects moving at a constant speed in the azimuth direction will appear blurred due to the change in position between each radar pulse, while those moving in the radial direction will be focussed but appear displaced in azimuth. Accelerating and manoeuvring objects further add to the complexity.

Building upon the first part of the project, both theoretical and practical numerical methods will be developed to understand how multi-static and other high-dimensional data can be used to resolve this otherwise ambiguous inverse problem. Iterative reconstruction with novel spatio-temporal regularisation schemes will then be developed to provide “Video SAR” imagery of the dynamic scenes. The resulting images will provide significant benefit for the project stakeholders beyond existing methodology by, for example, helping to locate moving objects which would otherwise be hidden amongst stationary background clutter, retaining fine resolution of moving objects through sub-aperture images, and reducing the need for time-consuming expert operator intervention to understand motion related artefacts.