As a synthetic aperture radar scans different portions of a rough surface, the direction of the unit vector normal to the mean surface of the effective illuminated area (resolution cell) fluctuates. In this paper the modulation of the like and cross polarized scattering cross sections of the resolution cell are determined as the normal to it tilts in planes that are in and perpendicular to the fixed reference plane of incidence. By using the full wave approach, the scattering cross sections are expressed as a weighted sum of two cross sections. The first cross section is associated with scales of roughness within the effective illuminated area that are large compared to the radar wavelength, and the second cross section is associated with small‐scale spectral components within the resolution cell. Thus both specular point scattering and Bragg scattering are accounted for in a self‐consistent manner. The results are compared with earlier solutions based on first‐order Bragg scattering theory.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.