| Phase noise is a stochastic process inherent to any real system oscillator. In radar systems this noise distorts the output data product, making a target's Doppler profile appear wider than it would be in the absence of such noise. Phase noise also raises the noise floor, making it harder to detect the presence of targets. We will examine the effect of phase noise in our radar system, where we consider the total phase noise in the system, including the effects of system oscillators as well as any atmospheric or other effects that may contribute.;In analyzing the phase noise within our radar system, we develop a technique for extracting estimates of the phase noise time series utilizing scattered energy from ground clutter. These signals not only give us a sense of the phase noise structure but also present a new way to detect interfering transmitters.;We present an analysis of phase noise as it has been modeled, which generally occurs in the domain of oscillator design and simulation. Comparing those models with our analysis of real data from our coherent distributed passive radar system, we also extend our search for stochastic models to include a superclass of models, which incorporates both of the previously used models. Model parameters can be used as metrics to monitor radar system performance.;We then offer a technique for improving the radar data product, accounting for the effects of phase noise. The goal of the algorithm is to improve the SNR of target Doppler profiles by applying post-processing to the range-Doppler images already being produced by our radar. |
