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2. Turntable Construction
The Turntable is a stainless steel
circular plate of 8 m diameter (Figure 1).
3. Measurement Setup
The test setup uses an Antenna
Assembly approximately 30 meter from the
center of the turntable, and at a height of about
2 meters. Antennas for both horizontal and
vertical polarization are configured. The
microwave measurements are carried out with
Agilent PNA 8362B, over X-band frequencies
between 9.0 to 11.0 GHz. ISAR measurements
are carried out by rotating table at slow speed
of 0.003 rpm, and acquiring data at 0.32 deg
step-size, over a 20 degree aspect angle. Two-
dimensional Calibrated Radar Images (in
down-range and cross-range) are constructed
from this data, over a 10 m x 10 m image zone.
The image resolution is of the order of 15 cm.
4. Observations
4.1 Clean Turntable
Figure 4 shows the calibrated radar
image of the turntable for horizontal
polarization. For this and all subsequent
images, the radar is positioned to the right of
the target as in the image, so that the horizontal
extent of the image depicts the down-range,
and the vertical extent describes the cross-
range. It is observed that the image is fairly
clean (levels about -60 dBsm), with some Figure 4 ISAR Image of Turntable for Horizontal
isolated peaks of <-40 dBsm on the leading rim Polarization
and along the centerline. Figure 6 Close-up of ISAR images of
shows the same image for vertical shows a close-up of the ISAR image of a line
polarization. Here we see that the individual of fasteners. Each fastener is seen to measure
fasteners have each distinctly contributed to about -40 dBsm individually.
the image. The overall signature of the
turntable is significant, with levels of the order 4.2 Aluminum Foil Applied
of -30 dBsm, and leading and trailing edge Experiments are further conducted to
peaks that approach -20 dBsm. The trailing investigate the intersection joints by covering
edge peak (the leftmost hotspot) is very high, one of the lines at position 330 deg with
measuring almost -15 dBsm. These signature Aluminum foil (Figure 7). The objective is to
levels of the turntable will contaminate the provide a smooth metallic surface to shield the
signatures measured for the DUT significantly. fastener discontinuities.
Figure 6 Close-up of ISAR images of Fasteners
5. Discussion
When the angle of incidence is a small
grazing angle off the surface, and there is a
component of the incident electric field
tangential to the surface and in the plane of
incidence, surface traveling waves can be
induced. The surface wave travels toward the
rear of the body and is backscattered by any
discontinuity that it encounters along its
journey (Figure 11). Reflected traveling waves
Figure 8 ISAR Image of Turntable when the 330 deg radiate back very strongly in the monostatic
Radial line is covered with Al foil backscatter direction when the incident angle is
This same effect is also investigated by in the neighbourhood of the so-called Peter’s
applying short patches of Aluminum Foil on 3 angle, calculated from end-fire antenna theory,
pair of fasteners on the 30 deg radial line, as typically about 15 to 20 degrees [2]. At these
shown in Figure 9. The resulting image (Figure angles, traveling wave echoes at low grazing
10) shows the disappearance of two of these angles are reportedly nearly as significant as
contributors from the image, while a residual specular echoes at normal incidence.
from the third remains- the uneven surface The precondition for surface traveling
being presented by the foil is also apparently waves- that there be a component of E-field
sufficient to cause reflections. tangential to the surface and in the plane-of-
incidence- explains why the images of the
fasteners are observed only for the vertically
polarized case.
According to literature, the magnitude covered. However, residual scattering is still
of the current increases towards the rear of the observed, presumably due to minor disruptions
body and unless they are absorbed there, or in surface flatness, even with foil application.
flow around some smooth termination, the
currents are reflected back towards the front of
the body. Although there is no easy way of
estimating the surface wave contribution to the
RCS, an estimate for the angle at which a
maximum in the pattern of the traveling wave
return occurs has been given in [1], with the
assumption that the end-points of the object to
be the sole discontinuities. This angle θ is
given as
θ = 49.35 λ l
where l is the dimension of the DUT
along the direction of incidence, and λ is the
wavelength.
Here our turntable is round, with a
diameter of 8 meters. Using this length along
with a wavelength of 3 cm, gives an estimate
for θ as ~ 3 degrees, and the prediction is 4
Figure 11 Reflections off typical discontinuities
deg for a length of about 4.5 m. The
measurement scenario considered in our case, The turntable, when used with vertical
the Turntable has been illuminated at about 4 polarization, must therefore be carefully
deg incidence, which is close to the predicted covered with absorber, or otherwise shielded
angle for maximum backscatter. A very large from view, so that the turntable reflections do
hotspot is indeed noticed from the trailing rim not contaminate the signatures measured for
of the turntable. the Device-Under-Test.
However, the other effect being
captured here is the scattering from the 6. Conclusion
multiple discontinuities that the traveling A comparison of signatures for
surface waves encounter along the length of horizontal and vertical polarization has been
their travel. Although the effect of incident carried out for a Turntable used to position the
angle on these images has not been Object-Under-Test for ISAR measurements at
investigated so far, it is strongly suspected that the NFDRF Facility, Jodhpur. These
these returns will be observed over a wide signatures, at near grazing incidence, are
range of incident angles, owing to the near- found to be substantially different. The images
isotropic scatter from small discontinuities. obtained in this study serve as a dramatic
The ISAR signatures of the table capture each illustration of the Surface Traveling Wave
such discontinuity with very good clarity. Effect that is present when the E-field is in the
An attempt has been made to smoothen plane of incidence and there is a component
out the discontinuities presented by the tangential to the surface. The other
fasteners using thin Aluminum foil to cover polarization, i.e., when the E-field is
them. A significant reduction is observed in the perpendicular to the plane of incidence, shows
contributions from the fasteners that are so a complete absence of this effect.
It is important to take into account
these effects, not only in this case, where the
background scattering from the turntable is
sought to be minimized, but also in the RCS
management of OUTs where similar effects are
likely to be present. The contribution of
innocuous looking fasteners to the RCS of
OUTs should not therefore be overlooked.
7. References
1. Knott E F, Shaeffer J F, & Tuley M T,
“Radar Cross Section, 2nd Ed. “, Artech
House, 1993
2. Peter N.R. Stoyle, “ISAR Image
Interpretation” Defence & Evaluation
Research Agency (DERA).
3. M.I Skolnik. “Radar Handbook”, New
York, 3rd Ed., McGraw Hill, 2000