Generalised RAO test for polarimetric target detection

Abstract

Here, a generalised Rao test method is presented for polarimetric multichannel adaptive signal detection. By introducing several tunable parameters into the Rao test detection statistics, the proposed polarimetric detector is quite general with the modified Rao test detector, the adaptive-matched filter detector, and the adaptive subspace detector being its special cases. The performance of the proposed polarimetric detector has been demonstrated with synthetic and real data. The results show that the new detector provides more flexibility of being adjustable than the current modified Rao test detector, against target steering vector mismatch.

Keywords

• adaptive signal detection
• matched filters
• radar detection
• statistical analysis
• covariance matrices
• object detection
• radar polarimetry
• current modified rao test detector
• adaptive subspace detector
• adaptive-matched filter detector
• polarimetric detector
• rao test detection statistics
• tunable parameters
• polarimetric multichannel adaptive signal detection
• generalised rao test method
• polarimetric target detection