Auto-regressive model based polarimetric adaptive detection scheme part II. Performance assessment under spectral model mismatch

This work addresses the problem of target detection in coherent radar systems equipped with multiple polarimetric channels. In “Part I” of this two-part study, a multi-channel auto-regressive model based polarimetric detection scheme has been developed and its performance has been studied against clutter with characteristics exactly matching the adopted parametric model. In this second part of the study, the performance assessment is extended, by means of theoretical and simulated analyses, to include the case of disturbance components with diverse spectral characteristics. Consequently, an appropriate modification is introduced to the detection scheme to make it robust to typical spectral mismatches occurring in practical situations. Finally, the effectiveness of the resulting detection scheme is proved against simulated and experimental data.