Analysis of canonical targets in near field for forward scatter radar applications

Near-field effects in Forward Scatter Radar (FSR) applications are analyzed, focusing the attention on the characterization of the received signal as a function of target/antenna distance and of target size. A simulated analysis of the forward-scatter cross-section (FS-CS) is carried out for a typical FSR scenario where a movable target crosses the baseline. In addition to the known far-field conditions, the results are presented also for the significant near-field Fresnel region, based on a suitable numerical evaluation of the diffraction integrals as a function of the geometrical and physical parameters involved. According to a basic modeling approach, the overall FS amplitude and phase signature of typical conductive targets have been evaluated in terms of their size and distance to the antennas. The above investigations allow not only for an accurate analysis of the forward scattering problem but also for a physical insight on the performance of the FSR in near-field conditions.