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Birds and insects as radar targets - A reviewA review of radar cross-section measurements of birds and insects is presented. A brief discussion of some possible theoretical models is also given and comparisons made with the measurements. The comparisons suggest that most targets are, at present, better modeled by a prolate spheroid having a length-to-width ratio between 3 and 10 than by the often used equivalent weight water sphere. In addition, many targets observed with linear horizontal polarization have maximum cross sections much better estimated by a resonant half-wave dipole than by a water sphere. Also considered are birds and insects in the aggregate as a local radar 'clutter' source. Order-of-magnitude estimates are given for many reasonable target number densities. These estimates are then used to predict X-band volume reflectivities. Other topics that are of interest to the radar engineer are discussed, including the doppler bandwidth due to the internal motions of a single bird, the radar cross-section probability densities of single birds and insects, the variability of the functional form of the probability density functions, and the Fourier spectra of single birds and insects.
Document ID
19850045677
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Vaughn, C. R.
(NASA Wallops Flight Center Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
February 1, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: IEEE, Proceedings
Volume: 73
ISSN: 0018-9219
Subject Category
Communications And Radar
Accession Number
85A27828
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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