Space-Time Correlation Imaging of Objects in Random Media

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

9908849 Ishimaru Many natural and man-made media vary randomly in space and time and are called "random media." Examples are atmospheric turbulence, ocean waves, rain, fog, snow, vegetation, terrain, biological media, and disordered media. Optical and acoustical waves and microwaves propagating through these media experience random fluctuations, and these interactions between the waves and the random media affect a broad range of practical problems such as detection, identification and imaging of objects, remote sensing of media, and communications through such media. In this project, The PI's emphasize the development of theories to deal with realistic problems which involve both deterministic objects and random media, rather than ideal homogeneous random media. Practical applications include imaging in clutter environment, medical imaging, and sensing of buried objects. The PI's stress the development of generalized space-time correlation techniques, polarization correlations, and stochastic Green's functions for the purpose of detection and imaging of objects in random media. Specific topics to be investigated include (1) Generalized space-time correlation techniques for imaging in random media, (2) Ultra-wideband vector radiative transfer, (3) Sources and objects near rough surfaces and object-medium interactions and (4) Applications to development of materials and techniques. They plan to continue to emphasize human resource development and training of graduate and undergraduate students in all three areas: analytical, numerical and experimental. This work is directed to the basic research on the development of theories of imaging and remote sensing of objects in geophysical and biological media and applications to medical optics, ultrasound imaging, radars and lidars, remote sensing, and inverse scattering theories. ***