High signal-noise-ratio high-resolution wide-swath imaging using two-dimensional intrapulse beam steering

The signal-noise-ratio (SNR) of synthesis aperture radar (SAR) will decrease as the swath becomes wider. To deal with this problem, a new practical SAR model based on the two-dimensional (2-D) intrapulse beam steering technique are presented to achieve high SNR and high-resolution wide-swath (HRWS) SAR imaging. The 2-D compact beam is formed by the whole plane-array antenna in the transmitter for the 2-D intrapulse beam steering. The range ambiguities in spatiality and the azimuth Doppler ambiguities caused by low pulse repetition frequency (PRF) sampling are solved by the 2-D digital beam forming (DBF) in the receiver, and then the high SNR HRWS SAR imaging can be obtained successfully. Simulation demonstrates that this SAR model improves the SNR of the HRWS system.