Coordinate registration algorithms for over-the-horizon radar

Different from the other conventional radars, the over the horizon radar （OTHR） faces complicated nonlinear coordinate transform due to electromagnetic wave propagation and reflection in ionospheres. A significant problem is the phenomenon of multi-path propagation. Considering it, the coordinate registration algorithms of planar measurement model and spherical measurement model are respectively derived in detail. Noticeably, a new transforming expression of apparent azimuth and an integrated form of transforming expressions from measurement vector to ground state vector in coordinate registration algorithm of spherical measurement model are proposed. And then simulations are made to verify the correctness of the proposed algorithms and expression. Besides this, the transforming error rate of slant range, Doppler and apparent azimuth of the two kinds of models are given respectively. Then the quantitative analysis of error rate is also given. It can be drawn a conclusion that the coordinate registration algorithms of planar measurement model and spherical measurement model are both correct.

Investigation of system structure and information processing mechanism for cognitive skywave over-the-horizon radar

Based on the cognitive radar concept and the basic connotation of cognitive skywave over-the-horizon radar（SWOTHR）, the system structure and information processingmechanism about cognitive SWOTHR are researched. Amongthem, the hybrid network system architecture which is thedistributed configuration combining with the centralized cognition and its soft/hardware framework with the sense-detectionintegration are proposed, and the information processing framebased on the lens principle and its information processing flowwith receive-transmit joint adaption are designed, which buildand parse the work law for cognition and its self feedback adjustment with the lens focus model and five stages informationprocessing sequence. After that, the system simulation andthe performance analysis and comparison are provided, whichinitially proves the rationality and advantages of the proposedideas. Finally, four important development ideas of futureSWOTHR toward ＂high frequency intelligence information processing system＂ are discussed, which are scene information fusion, dynamic reconfigurable system, hierarchical and modulardesign, and sustainable development. Then the conclusion thatthe cognitive SWOTHR can cause the performance improvement is gotten.

Compatible Design of the System to Detect Ships and Airplanes with a Ground Wave Over-the-horizon Radar

This paper provides a design method based on a time-shared form, which obtains the compatibility of signal and the system for detecting both ships and airplanes. Then, it gives the structure diagram of the system and the chart diagram of signal processing. Finally, the continuity problem of signal modulation for ship detection is discussed.

A System of Signal Detection and Estimation for Ground Wave Over-The-Horizon Radar

Ground wave over-the-horizon radar(GW-OTHR) can detect the OTH moving targets on sea or at low altitude. This paper discusses the background for detecting a target with GW-OTHR, introduces the theory and implementation of the signal detection and estimation system which has the parallel processing function, and gives some experimental results. The results of GW-OTHR experiments show that this system can successfully detect and estimate the above-mentioned targets.

A New Location Precision Model for Multi-Static Over-the-Horizon Radar System

In this paper, a multi-static system working in an active way is made up of ionospheric oblique backscatter sounding system （IOBSS） and two separate receiving stations, which adopts discontinuous wave mechanism. We have advanced a new model that contains skywave condition to locate over-the-horizon targets. We use a single quasi-parabolic （QP） ionosphere model and an analytic ray-tracing program to obtain the coordinate registration （CR） index, which changes skywave group range to ground range. Also, IOBSS and other two receiving stations use this distance information to locate the target which is far away from the system. The analytic expression for the geometric dilution of precision （GDOP） under different station deployments are obtained, which shows GDOP is influenced by the system measurement precision, the stations＇ coordinates, and CR index. By computer simulation, we find that GDOP of isosceles right triangle deployment is smaller than that of line deployment and location precision will be improved with increasing base line length. The results indicate that this model is practicable with an acceptable range of error （less than 500 m under certain conditions in this paper）.

Parameter estimation of maneuvering targets in OTHR based on sparse time-frequency representation

This paper proposes a new method for estimating the parameter of maneuvering targets based on sparse time-frequency transform in over-the-horizon radar（OTHR）. In this method, the sparse time-frequency distribution of the radar echo is obtained by solving a sparse optimization problem based on the short-time Fourier transform. Then Hough transform is employed to estimate the parameter of the targets. The proposed algorithm has the following advantages： Compared with the Wigner-Hough transform method, the computational complexity of the sparse optimization is low due to the application of fast Fourier transform（FFT）. And the computational cost of Hough transform is also greatly reduced because of the sparsity of the time-frequency distribution. Compared with the high order ambiguity function（HAF） method, the proposed method improves in terms of precision and robustness to noise. Simulation results show that compared with the HAF method, the required SNR and relative mean square error are 8 dB lower and 50 dB lower respectively in the proposed method. While processing the field experiment data, the execution time of Hough transform in the proposed method is only 4% of the Wigner-Hough transform method.

A Review on Electrodynamic Influence of Atmospheric Processes to the Ionosphere

This work is an attempt to critically analyze the existing theoretical models of the impact of earthquake preparation processes on the state of the earth’s atmosphere and ionosphere in the zone of growing seismic activity, as well as the mechanisms of formation and transfer of disturbances in various media over the earthquake center. The determining factor (criterion) of the analysis is the degree of compliance of the simulation results with experimental data obtained at various phases of earthquake development by direct and remote diagnostic methods using ground and aerospace technologies. The key role is played by the model’s compliance with the results of measuring electric fields and currents in the near-ground atmosphere and ionosphere, small-scale ionospheric inhomogeneities and correlated field-aligned currents and electromagnetic ULF/ELF emissions. A full-fledged model should also explain the origin of such seismic related phenomena as the generation in the troposphere and over-horizon propagation of pulsed VHF radiation, thermal effects and associated IR emissions as well as the modification of plasma distribution in the D, E and F layers of the ionosphere. The use of this criterion in the analysis allowed us to identify a theoretical model that most fully describes the totality of the above-mentioned experimental data within a single physical mechanism. This is an electrodynamic model based on the perturbation of the conductivity current in the global atmosphere—ionosphere electric circuit due to the injection of charged aerosols into the atmosphere during the preparation and development of an earthquake. The present paper describes this model and the formation mechanisms of related phenomena in the atmosphere and ionosphere, which can be considered as short-term precursors to earthquakes.

Performance of Order-statistics Constant-false-alarm-rate Detector with Noncoherent Integration and Its Application to OTH Radar

Noncoherent integration is often ed for approving performance in detection of radar signal. Order-statistics constant false alarm rate (OS-CFAR) detector has some advantages in clutter and multiple target situations. AnOS-CFAN detector with noncoherent integration after Square law envelope detector is presented and an analysis of detection performance for the chi-Square family of Swerling fluctuating targets is given. Its application to the high frequency(HF) ground wave over-the-horizon (OTH) radar is discussed as well.

Use of piecewise polynomial phase modeling to compensate ionospheric phase contamination in skywave radar systems

Recognition and correction of ionospheric phase path contamination is a vital part of the global radar signal processing sequence. A number of model-based correction algorithms have been developed to deal with the radar performance degradation due to the ionospheric distortion and contamination. This paper addresses a novel parametric estimation and compensation method based on High-order Ambiguity Function (HAF) to solve the problem of phase path contamination of HF skywave radar signals. When signal-to-noise ratio and data sequence available satisfy the predefined conditions, the ionospheric phase path contamination may be modeled by a polynomial phase signal (PPS). As a new parametric tool for analyzing the PPS, HAF is introduced to estimate parameters of the polynomial-phase model and reconstruct the correction signal. Using the reconstructed correction signal, compensation can be performed before coherent integration so that the original echo spectrum can be restored. A piecewise scheme is proposed to track rapid variation of the phase contamination based on HAF method, and it can remove the Doppler spread effect caused by the ionosphere nonstationarity. Simulation and experimental results are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.

Characteristics of high frequency radio wave propagated in heated ionospheric regions

A two-dimensional Ohm heating theoretic model in the magnetizing ionosphere and a ray-tracing model in a discrete ionosphere background are used to analyze quantitatively the characteristics(mainly the Doppler shift and the phase shift)of the over-the-horizon radar(OTHR)wave,which propagates through the ionospheric region heated by high frequency radio wave.The simulation results about the Doppler and the phase shift are obtained within two minutes after the heater is on.Preliminary conclusions are given by comparing the numerical results with experimental data.