The Frequency Scaling Algorithm and interferometric Spotlight SAR processing

Abstract

This paper presents the Frequency Scaling Algorithm for phase preserving Spotlight SAR data processing and investigates the differences between Stripmap and Spotlight illumination. The algorithm performs the range cell migration correction for non-chirped raw data without interpolation by using a novel frequency scaling operation. The azimuth processing is based on a spectral analysis approach which is made highly accurate by azimuth scaling. In almost all processing stages, a subaperture approach is introduced for efficient azimuth processing. A method is proposed, which shows how to process Stripmap mode raw data in the Spotlight mode. The phase preservation of the Frequency Scaling Algorithm is proved by point target simulations and real raw data processing, including the generation of Spotlight interferograms. The same SAR Stripmap raw data set of DLR’s airborne system is processed in Stripmap and in Spotlight mode and the resulting detected images and interferograms are compared to each other. The differences due to the different range of squint angles used for the azimuth focusing are discussed.