Application of E-pulse and cepstral analysis to radar target detection and discrimination

This thesis addresses several topics related to the use of ultra-wideband radar for target detection and discrimination. A new method to determine the scattered field from an infinite length, perfectly-conducting, periodic sea-surface has been formulated. This method is based on a periodic surface-current representation. The motivation for doing this work is to create a computationally efficient method for determining the scattered field from periodic surfaces.;A target discrimination scheme using only the magnitude of its spectral response has been devised based upon real cepstral analysis. Basic cepstral analysis techniques and the minimum-phase condition are discussed. A discrimination scheme based upon the E-pulse method was used. A library of E-pulse waveforms was generated from the time-domain scattered return of each anticipated target type. The time-domain representation of an unknown target was generated using the minimum-phase reconstruction method. The target discrimination algorithm was used to identify an associated geometry in the target library file. Test cases included: (a) thin-wire scattering geometries using a theoretical scattering program, and (b) actual anechoic chamber measurements of small-scale aircraft and missiles.;An enhanced detection algorithm for radar-target detection in a sea-clutter environment has been formulated using the E-pulse method. The theory behind this new method is discussed, several static test cases presented, and a dynamic test case presented showing the functionality of the detection algorithm for a target moving over an evolving sea-surface. The effect of different target types on the detection algorithm has been tested. Also, the effect of multipath on the detection algorithm has been investigated. Finally, the new method has been compared to a simple detection algorithm based on clutter reduction using coherent signal processing.