Polarimetric Target Decompositions Applied to Wide-Angle Turntable Isar Data

Application of polarimetric target decomposition algorithms to 2D X-band turntable ISAR image data of a T-72 tank is investigated. Because of the current trend to high-resolution systems, wide-angle case is considered through the employment of a distinct polarimetric analysis procedure based on the combined processing of narrow-angle images. The respective images of the coherent decompositions namely Pauli, Krogager and Cameron decompositions and an incoherent decomposition namely eigenvector/eigenvalue decomposition are analyzed and compared in terms of the identification of the physical scattering mechanisms. The usefulness of the various parameters including orientation, symmetry and entropy that can be extracted from the decompositions is also discussed. Despite the challenges in the interpretation of structural characteristics from 2D signatures, the decomposition results are shown to be mostly consistent within each other and also each algorithm is shown to be successful to a certain degree in accurately locating the dominant scattering mechanisms