The Mueller and coherency matrices solution for polarimetric scattering simulation of tree canopy in SAR imagery at C band

Abstract

A theoretical model of multi-level, non-spherical scatterers is developed for fully polarimetric scattering from a tree canopy in SAR imaging at C-band. The amplitude functions of non-spherical particles with randomly spatial orientation are derived by the generalized Rayleigh-Gans approximation. The nondiagonal extinction matrix and the Mueller matrix solution are constructed. Numerical solutions of polarimetric scattering of four Stokes parameters from random, non-spherical scatterers are obtained. To physically identify polarimetric scattering of the Mueller matrix solution, the coherency matrix and its eigen-analysis are discussed. Functional dependence of the coherency matrix and entropy upon various parameters are obtained. As an application, analysis of AirSAR images at P-, L-, C-bands is discussed.