Date of Award

3-2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Todd B. Hale, PhD

Abstract

This thesis presents an airborne radar model for non-uniformly spaced antenna arrays. Non-uniform arrays potentially possess advantages unobtainable by uniformly spaced arrays. An element position matrix is defined to accommodate arbitrary element locations. The new element position matrix affects the time/phase delay to each element, spatial frequencies, steering vectors, space-time snapshots, and covariance matrices. The joint domain localized and factored time-space-time adaptive processing algorithms are also updated so they are compatible with the new model. The non-uniformly spaced array radar model is verified with previous models presented by Jaffer, Ward, and Hale. The model for non-uniform arrays is used to compare performance of 24 element and 15 element circular arrays to a 6 x 6 uniformly spaced planar array having the same physical dimensions. Simulation results indicate that non-uniformly spaced arrays such as the circular array can potentially be used in airborne radar systems in place of uniformly spaced arrays. As a result, array costs may be reduced by using fewer elements without sacrificing detection capabilities.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GE-ENG-06-58

DTIC Accession Number

ADA450197

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