Time-Frequency Displays for Understanding of Raw SAR Receive Data

Abstract:
Time-frequency plots, such as the short-time Fourier transform, provide a method for illustrating and better understanding raw SAR data at the level of a single receive window. Such visualizations allow one to see scene and signal characteristics not available in more traditional SAR visualizations. This work presents several examples of such plots to enhance understanding of image formation and to aid in interpreting spatial content at the fast-time data level. Additionally, examples are provided to show the utility of such visualizations in the scenarios of both image content understanding and external interference signals.