Comparison of Exact Azimuth Migration Kernels for the Simulation of Harmony Bistatic SAR Data

Abstract:
The importance of modelling the generated data of a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system in parallel to its development cannot be overstated. It is crucial to have the flexibility to configure and modify the setup to adapt to evolving needs and demands, assess performance and consolidate processing and calibration algorithms. From this perspective, the consolidation of algorithms to accurately reconstruct raw data from full-resolution SAR images plays a fundamental role. This paper presents a comparison of exact azimuth migration kernels for the simulation of bistatic SAR raw data acquired in TOPS mode, relevant for the Harmony mission, all based on the Reverse Backprojection Algorithm (RBPA). As it will be shown in the final version of the paper, the approach allows to simulate the impact of time-variant effects such as pulseto- pulse system or propagation effects, topography, as well as providing a fundamental tool for the efficient simulation of non-stationarities within the scenes, a fundamental element for the simulation of SAR acquisitions over oceans. The comparison focuses on the underlying theoretical principles, computational requirements, and other practical aspects.