On radar polarization mixed target state decomposition techniques

Abstract

The mathematical representations of mixed target states using Mueller, covariance, and density matrices are discussed, and the relationship between these matrices is shown. A decomposition technique due to J.R. Huynen (1970) is considered, and a simple algorithm for calculating it is demonstrated. It was shown that, in addition to the Huynen decomposition, exactly two other decompositions exist whose mixed-target-state components possess the same roll-invariant property as the distributed N-target mixed-target-state component in the Huynen decomposition. The mixed-target-state components of all three of these Huynen-type decompositions were shown to correspond to targets with circular polarization nulls. The characteristic decomposition was then discussed and applied to a simple example which demonstrated that its pure-state component provides the average target representation. It is noted that this decomposition may have applications to stationary target identification.<>