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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12
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NASA NTRS1981

Electromagnetic backscattering from a sparse distribution of lossy dielectric scatterers

Electromagnetic backscattering from a sparse distribution of lossy dielectric particles having random orientation and position is studied. The paper begins by using the Foldy approximation to find an equation for the mean field. From this equation, an effective permittivity for the scattering medium is obtained. The correlation of the scattered field is found by employing the distorted Born approximation, i.e., particles embedded in the effective medium are assumed to be single scatterers. The above method is then used to find the backscattering coefficients from a leaf canopy. The leaf canopy is modeled by a half space of dielectric discs that are small in comparison to a wavelength. Numerical results show that the depolarized cross section is a sensitive function of leaf inclination angle statistics.

Lang, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A Parametric Study of Tillage Effects on Radar Backscatter

Radar backscatter data for different field configurations and modulation function curves for angular and frequency variations are presented. A simplistic approach to modeling this effect is presented. It is concluded that: (1) row direction is a significant contributor to radar backscatter from cropland and must be considered when making radar measurements over bare or sparsely vegetated fields; (2) while the effect decrease with increasing frequency, it is still large (5 dB) at 13.3 GHz; (3) row effects are independent of linear polarization; (4) there is a strong aspect angle sensitivity which is a function of the scene and radar system parameters.

Fenner, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Model studies of nitric oxide fluorescence in the earth's backscattered spectrum

Fluorescent emissions from nitric oxide appear imposed upon the Rayleigh backscattered spectrum of the earth's atmosphere between 250 and 300 nm in wavelength. Satellite instruments designed to monitor the global ozone distribution can routinely observe these signals although techniques for exploiting the data are not yet available. Application of a radiative transfer equation developed for an atmosphere including absorption by ozone, molecular scattering, and nitric oxide fluorescence shows the three most prominent NO emissions relative to the 250-300 nm backscattered sunlight to be the (1,4), (1,6), and (0,3) gamma bands. Analysis of the contribution function for each emission band indicates that the fluorescent signals can provide useful information on the magnitude and variability of nitric oxide between 40 and 140 km in altitude.

Frederick, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Characteristics of space and ground based total ozone observing systems investigated by intercomparison of Nimbus 4 Backscattered Ultraviolet /BUV/ data with Dobson and M-83 results

The Nimbus 4 Backscattered Ultraviolet (BUV) experiment data has been reprocessed to provide a near global data set covering the seven years from 1970 to 1977. The data set is the result of a three year effort by the Ozone Processing Team which included review and correction of the spacecraft ephemeris, instrument calibration, and processing algorithms. The accuracy of the resulting total ozone determinations compares well with that of ground based data. An important application of the global BUV data set is to use it in determining long term trends in global total ozone. However, in order to identify long term trends in ozone, it is necessary to eliminate first long-term drift in the instrument calibration. A follow on experiment, the Solar Backscattered Ultraviolet/Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer, (SBUV/TOMS), was flown on Nimbus 7 launched in October 1978. The SBUV provides information about both total ozone and vertical ozone profiles for a 200 km square field of view.

Fleig, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Backscattered UV radiation - Effects of multiple scattering and the lower boundary of the atmosphere

A method is proposed for the calculation of a multiple-scattering correction to the single-scattering calculation of the radiance of the terrestrial atmosphere resulting from backscattered ultraviolet solar radiation in the spectral region used in the ozone profile inversion. This method uses jointly the usual analytical and Monte Carlo methods. Effects of the lower boundary of the atmosphere, cloud tops, and ground surface are investigated both qualitatively and quantitatively. The ratio of multiple to single scattering is determined, and its importance in ozone profile inversion of backscattered UV solar radiation from the terrestrial atmosphere is evaluated. The polarization of the atmospheric radiance is treated briefly.

Aruga, T.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A three-part geometric model to predict the radar backscatter from wheat, corn, and sorghum

A model to predict the radar backscattering coefficient from crops must include the geometry of the canopy. Radar and ground-truth data taken on wheat in 1979 indicate that the model must include contributions from the leaves, from the wheat head, and from the soil moisture. For sorghum and corn, radar and ground-truth data obtained in 1979 and 1980 support the necessity of a soil moisture term and a leaf water term. The Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an appropriate input for the leaf contribution to the radar response for wheat and sorghum, however the LAI generates less accurate values for the backscattering coefficient for corn. Also, the data for corn and sorghum illustrate the importance of the water contained in the stalks in estimating the radar response.

Ulaby, F. T.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A backscatter model for a randomly perturbed periodic surface

A backscatter model for a randomly perturbed periodic surface has been developed to explain backscatter measurements from a bare soil surface with row structure. It is assumed that the row-direction effect can be included by integrating the scattering coefficient due to the random roughness component over the underlying periodic component of the soil surface. It is found that the row-direction effect is strongly dependent upon the rate of change of this scattering coefficient with the local angle, and that the maximum difference between looking parallel and perpendicular to the row direction occurs around an incidence angle whose tangent is equal to the slope of the periodic surface at the inflection point.

Ulaby, F. T.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A parametric study of tillage effects on radar backscatter

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of tillage and row spacing on radar backscatter without the variables of moisture and vegetation. To accomplish this objective, a test site was selected in an area characterized by minimal rainfall and sparse vegetation, and simulation rows were plowed on two adjacent 762 x 152.4 m plots, across the 762-m dimension on one plot and along the 762-m dimension on the other plot. It is found that row direction is a significant contributor to radar linearly polarized backscatter from cropland and must be considered when making radar measurements over bare or sparsely vegetated fields. Although the effect decreases with increasing frequency, it is still large (5 dB) at 13.3 13.3 GHz. It is also found that row effects may not exist in cross-polarized radar returns, in which case further measurements with an improved scatterometer system (30-35 dB cross-polarization isolation) are needed.

Fenner, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Electromagnetic backscattering from a layer of vegetation - A discrete approach

Electromagnetic backscattering from a layer of vegetation over a flat lossy ground is studied. The vegetated region is composed of leaves which are modeled by lossy circular dielectric discs with prescribed orientation statistics. The mean field in the layer is computed by using the Foldy approximation and a two-variable technique which is valid for small fractional volume. Simple expressions are given for the skin depth of the mean wave. Following this, the distorted Born approximation is used to calculate the co-polarized and cross polarized backscattering coefficients. These are then computed as a function of angle of incidence for different layer depths and leaf configurations.

Lang, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Target reflectance measurements for calibration of lidar atmospheric backscatter data

Wavelength and angular dependence of reflectances and depolarization in the 9-11 micron region are reported for four standard targets: flowers of sulfur, flame-sprayed aluminum, 20-grit sandblasted aluminum, and 400-grit silicon carbon sandpaper. Measurements are presented and compared using a CW CO2 grating-tunable laser in a laboratory backscatter apparatus, an integrating sphere, and a coherent pulsed TEA-CO2 lidar system operating in the 9-11 micron region. Reflectance theory related to the use of hard targets to calibrate lidar atmospheric backscatter data is discussed.

Kavaya, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Effects of vegetation canopy on the radar backscattering coefficient

Airborne L- and C-band scatterometer data, taken over both vegetation-covered and bare fields, were systematically analyzed and theoretically reproduced, using a recently developed model for calculating radar backscattering coefficients of rough soil surfaces. The results show that the model can reproduce the observed angular variations of radar backscattering coefficient quite well via a least-squares fit method. Best fits to the data provide estimates of the statistical properties of the surface roughness, which is characterized by two parameters: the standard deviation of surface height, and the surface correlation length. In addition, the processes of vegetation attenuation and volume scattering require two canopy parameters, the canopy optical thickness and a volume scattering factor. Canopy parameter values for individual vegetation types, including alfalfa, milo and corn, were also determined from the best-fit results. The uncertainties in the scatterometer data were also explored.

Mo, T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Radar backscatter modelling

The terrain analysis software package was restructured and documentation was added. A program was written to test Johnson Space Center's four band scatterometer data for spurious signals data. A catalog of terrain roughness statistics and calibrated four frequency multipolarization scatterometer data is being published to support the maintenance of Death Valley as a radar backscatter calibration test site for all future airborne and spacecraft missions. Test pits were dug through sand covered terrains in the Eastern Sahara to define the depth and character of subsurface interfaces responsible for either backscatter or specular response in SIR-A imagery. Blocky sandstone bedrock surfaces at about 1 m depth were responsible for the brightest SIR-A returns. Irregular very dense CaCO3 cemented sand interfaces were responsible for intermediate grey tones. Ancient river valleys had the weakest response. Reexamination of SEASAT l-band imagery of U.S. deserts continues.

Schaber, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The relationship between strength of turbulence and backscattering radar power at HF and VHF

The formulae relating turbulence and other atmospheric parameters to backscattered power for radar observations are reviewed. Emphasis is on the case of scatter from turbulent irregularities which have scales corresponding to the range of isotropic, inertial range turbulence. The applicability of this assumption is discussed. A formula is introduced for the mesosphere which relates ionospheric electron densities to backscattered power.

Hocking, W. K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Signal processor architecture for backscatter radars

Real time signal processing for backscatter radars which requires computational throughput and I/O rates is discussed. The operations that are usually performed in real time are highly repetitive simple accumulations of samples or of products of samples. The control logic does not depend on the values of the data and general purpose computers are not required for the initial high speed processing. The implications of these facts on the architectures of preprocessors for backscatter radars are explored and applied to the design of the Radar Signal Compender.

Swartz, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Aerosol backscatter lidar calibration and data interpretation

A treatment of the various factors involved in lidar data acquisition and analysis is presented. This treatment highlights sources of fundamental, systematic, modeling, and calibration errors that may affect the accurate interpretation and calibration of lidar aerosol backscatter data. The discussion primarily pertains to ground based, pulsed CO2 lidars that probe the troposphere and are calibrated using large, hard calibration targets. However, a large part of the analysis is relevant to other types of lidar systems such as lidars operating at other wavelengths; continuous wave (CW) lidars; lidars operating in other regions of the atmosphere; lidars measuring nonaerosol elastic or inelastic backscatter; airborne or Earth-orbiting lidar platforms; and lidars employing combinations of the above characteristics.

Kavaya, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Oil film thickness using airborne laser-induced oil fluorescence backscatter

Remote airborne measurement of oil film thickness on ocean surface using laser-induced water Raman backscatter is discussed. It is pointed out that the theoretical model of oil fluorescence by Horvath et al. (1971) contains the necessary constituents to provide for the natural background fluorescence that is also induced by the laser during the course of an oil thickness experiment. How the various parameters of the model are obtained from typical airborne profile data is discussed, and it is shown that the water Raman backscatter may be used to assist further in the application of the data. The regions or water types over which the technique might be most useful or applicable are discussed.

Hoge, F. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Calculations of radar backscattering coefficient of vegetation-covered soils

The present investigation has the objective to develop a simple 'user's' model for simulating the measured radar backscattering coefficients from vegetation-covered fields in conjunction with the data obtained by Jackson et al. (1980, 1982). The theoretical work reported by Fung and Eom (1981) provides the basis for the model. Certain modifications are related to a consideration of the effect of a vegetation canopy. The first part of the model is concerned with a description of scatter from rough bare soil, while the second part takes into account the effect of a vegetation cover. It is shown that the measured angular distribution of the backscattering coefficient of vegetation-covered fields can be satisfactory reproduced by using the developed model.

Mo, T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Phase function, backscatter, extinction, and absorption for standard radiation atmosphere and El Chichon aerosol models at visible and near-infrared wavelengths

Tabular values of phase function, Legendre polynominal coefficients, 180 deg backscatter, and extinction cross section are given for eight wavelengths in the atmospheric windows between 0.4 and 2.2 microns. Also included are single scattering albedo, asymmetry factor, and refractive indices. These values are based on Mie theory calculations for the standard rediation atmospheres (continental, maritime, urban, unperturbed stratospheric, volcanic, upper atmospheric, soot, oceanic, dust, and water-soluble) assest measured volcanic aerosols at several time intervals following the El Chichon eruption. Comparisons of extinction to 180 deg backscatter for different aerosol models are presented and related to lidar data.

Whitlock, C. H.↗