Electromagnetic interaction models for the characterization of targets in SAR scenes: preliminary literature review

Abstract

This paper deals with the revision of literature on electromagnetic interaction models for characterizing targets from synthetic aperture radar SAR data. The primary motivation of this review is to encourage the creation of a research area on synthetic aperture radars within the Ecuadorian Space Institute. This document contains a brief review of the basic principles of synthetic aperture radar, the mechanisms of interaction of electromagnetic fields with matter, polarimetry basics and its use for characterization of targets in SAR scenes. A set of thesis topics for both undergraduate and graduate levels are proposed at the end.

Keywords: electromagnetic interaction, synthetic aperture radar SAR, reflectance, backscatter coefficient, reflectivity, electromagnetic properties of matter and rocks, polarimetry.