ABSTRACT
Backprojection is an algorithmic technique that generates two-dimensional images from synthetic aperture radar data. The data input into the Backprojection algorithm are usually collected by airborne sensors circling around a target area, which emit a series of radar pulses, then receive and record the reflected temporal response. A single pulse provides information about the intensity of reflectors at many distances from the pulse location. Reflectors far from the pulse emitter will appear later in the received response than proximal reflectors. The time t at which a reflector’s contribution will appear in the response can be predicted using the speed of light c and the distance d from the pulse emitter, as
t = d
c The relationship above facilitates the division of each pulse response into
discrete time intervals or range bins, which correspond to the average pulse in each discretized time interval. For example, consider the diagram of Figure 12.1, where a pulse is transmitted toward a target area containing a single point reflector.
