Analysis of time-domain back-projection for stripmap SAR

Abstract

This article explores the SAR back-projection algorithm for stripmap image formation and its characteristics. The article provides a derivation of generalized time-domain back-projection from first principles. It shows that back-projection may be considered an ideal matched filter for SAR. The article presents an analysis of the sensitivity of back-projection to its geometric parameters as well as several performance considerations: azimuth beam width, residual phase error, digital elevation map accuracy, and antenna position estimation accuracy.