GIANT ENHANCED BACKSCATTERING IN LIDAR SIGNATURES

The design of laser radars and the determination of laser radar signat ures of various vehicles require accurate data on the reflectivity of the target materials to far-field laser illumination at many different wavelengths. Modeling software is required that will take the monosta tic reflectance data as input and combine this data with geometrical m odels to develop a laser radar signature. Consideration of enhanced ba ckscattering can be critically important in developing laser radar sig natures. This is illustrated by the comparison of two signature models of the same airplane-one developed using bidirectional reflectance me asurement data at 2 deg from the retrodirection, and the other develop ed from monostatic measurement data at true retrodirection. When a ref lecting metal substrate is coated with a thin layer of weakly rough di electric, as is often the case with naturally occurring metal oxides o n a parent metal surface, a giant enhanced backscattering peak is obse rved that will further enhance the lidar signature. (C) 1996 Society o f Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.