The co- and cross-polarized scattered intensity ratios for 3D layered structures with randomly rough interfaces

Abstract

We determine the statistical distributions for the co- and cross-polarized scattered intensity ratios characterizing three-dimensional layered structures with an arbitrary number of rough interfaces illuminated by a plane wave. Within the framework of the first-order small perturbation method, we show for slightly rough interfaces with infinite surface areas and Gaussian height distributions that the intensity ratio is a random variable, the probability law of which is a function of two parameters. For air/clayey soil/rock structures, we analyze the influence of a snow layer upon the probability laws and we validate the closed-form formulae by comparison with Monte-Carlo simulations.

Keywords:

• Rough layered surfaces
• scattering amplitudes
• small perturbation method
• co- and cross-polarized intensity ratios
• density probability function

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Saddek Afifi

Saddek Afifi received the Ph.D. degree (Docteur Ingénieur) in electronics from Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand, France, and the Doctorat d'Etat degree in physics from the University of Badji Mokhtar-Annaba, Annaba, Algeria, in 1986 and 2006, respectively. In 1986, he joined the University of Annaba where he works as a Professor with the Electronics Department and member of the “Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, de Spectroscopie Optique et d'Opto-électronique (LAPLASO).” His research interests include the scattering and propagation of electromagnetic waves in random rough surfaces and remote sensing.

Richard Dusséaux

Richard Dusséaux received the PhD degree in electronics and systems from Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand, France, in 1993. In 1994, he joined the University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin, Versailles, France. He is a teacher of electrical engineering. He is a member of the “Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales.” His research interests include waveguides, scattering by gratings, and rough surfaces.