• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2023

The Gamma Portable Radar Interferometer (GPRI) is a ground-based real aperture radar (RAR) that can acquire images with high spatial and temporal resolution. The GPRI ground-based radar used in this study composes three antennas with a Ku-band frequency of 17.1-17.3 GHz (1.73-1.75 cm of wavelength). It can measure displacement over time with millimeter-scale precision. It is also possible to adjust the observation mode by arranging the transmitting and receiving antennas for various applications: i) obtaining differential interferograms through the application of interferometric techniques, ii) generation of digital elevation models and iii) acquisition of full polarimetric data. We introduced the hardware configuration of the GPRI ground-based radar, image acquisition, and characteristics of the collected radar images. The interferometric phase difference has been evaluated to apply the multi-temporal interferometric SAR application (MT-InSAR) using the first observation campaigns at Pusan National University in Geumjeong-gu, Busan.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.374-383
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• 2010

Microwave radar can penetrate cloud cover regardless of weather conditions and can be used day and night. Especially a ground-based polarimetric scatterometer has advantages of monitoring crop conditions continuously with full polarization and different frequencies. Kim et al. (2009) have measured backscattering coefficients of paddy rice using L-, C-, X-band scatterometer system with full polarization and various angles during the rice growth period and have revealed the necessity of near-continuous automatic measurement to eliminate the difficulties, inaccuracy and sparseness of data acquisitions arising from manual operation of the system. In this study, we constructed an X-band automatic scatterometer system, analyzed scattering characteristics of paddy rice from X-band scatterometer data and estimated rice growth parameter using backscattering coefficients in X-band. The system was installed inside a shelter in an experimental paddy field at the National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS) before rice transplanting. The scatterometer system consists of X-band antennas, HP8720D vector network analyzer, RF cables and personal computer that controls frequency, polarization and data storage. This system using automatically measures fully-polarimetric backscattering coefficients of rice crop every 10 minutes. The backscattering coefficients were calculated from the measured data at a fixed incidence angle of $45^{\circ}$ and with full polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH) by applying the radar equation and compared with rice growth data such as plant height, stem number, fresh dry weight and Leaf Area Index (LAI) that were collected at the same time of each rice growth parameter. We examined the temporal behaviour of the backscattering coefficients of the rice crop at X-band during rice growth period. The HH-, VV-polarization backscattering coefficients steadily increased toward panicle initiation stage, thereafter decreased and again increased in early-September. We analyzed the relationships between backscattering coefficients in X-band and plant parameters and predicted the rice growth parameters using backscattering coefficients. It was confirmed that X-band is sensitive to grain maturity at near harvesting season.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.31-44
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to measure backscattering coefficients of paddy rice using a L-, C-, and X-band scatterometer system with full polarization and various angles during the rice growth period and to relate backscattering coefficients to rice growth parameters. Radar backscattering measurements of paddy rice field using multifrequency (L, C, and X) and full polarization were conducted at an experimental field located in National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS), Suwon, Korea. The scatterometer system consists of dual-polarimetric square horn antennas, HP8720D vector network analyzer ($20\;MHz{\sim}20\;GHz$), RF cables, and a personal computer that controls frequency, polarization and data storage. The backscattering coefficients were calculated by applying radar equation for the measured at incidence angles between $20^{\circ}$ and $60^{\circ}$ with $5^{\circ}$ interval for four polarization (HH, VV, HV, VH), respectively. We measured the temporal variations of backscattering coefficients of the rice crop at L-, C-, X-band during a rice growth period. In three bands, VV-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than hh-polarized backscattering coefficients during rooting stage (mid-June) and HH-polarized backscattering coefficients were higher than VV-, HV/VH-polarized backscattering coefficients after panicle initiation stage (mid-July). Cross polarized backscattering coefficients in X-band increased towards the heading stage (mid-Aug) and thereafter saturated, again increased near the harvesting season. Backscattering coefficients of range at X-band were lower than that of L-, C-band. HH-, VV-polarized ${\sigma}^{\circ}$ steadily increased toward panicle initiation stage and thereafter decreased, and again increased near the harvesting season. We plotted the relationship between backscattering coefficients with L-, C-, X-band and rice growth parameters. Biomass was correlated with L-band hh-polarization at a large incident angle. LAI (Leaf Area Index) was highly correlated with C-band HH- and cross-polarizations. Grain weight was correlated with backscattering coefficients of X-band VV-polarization at a large incidence angle. X-band was sensitive to grain maturity during the post heading stage.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.327-335
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• 2011

A study on the RCS of a self-manufactured active transponder, which has a manually adjustable RCS, for SAR(Synthetic Aperture Radar) external calibration and image analysis at X-band is presented in this paper. The RCS of the active transponder was comparably analyzed using the lab-test and the COSMO-SkyMed SAR system, and also precisely analyzed the difference between the adjusted and estimated RCSs. A maximum RCS of the designed and manufactured active transponder is 60 dBsm. The active transponders with 60 dBsm and the adjusted RCS of 40 dBsm were measured using the single target calibration technique(STCT) and 2D target scanning technique(2DTST). And the extracted RCS using power-spill integration technique in a SAR image was compared with the measured RCS of active transponder. The comparison results show that the measured and extracted RCSs are 59.7 dBsm, 40.2 dBsm and 57.3 dBsm, 39.2 dBsm, respectively.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.711-719
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• 2011

A study of miniaturization of an L-band orthomode transducer(OMT) for field experiments of radar backscatter is presented in this paper. The proposed OMT is not required the additional waveguide taper structures to connect with a standard adaptor by the newly designed junction structure which bases on a waveguide taper. Total length of the OMT for L-band is about 1.2 ${\lambda}_o$(310 mm) and it's a size of 60 % of the existing OMTs. And, to increase the matching and isolation performances of each polarization, two conducting posts are inserted. The bandwidth of 420 MHz and the isolation level of about 40 dB are measured in the operating frequency. The L-band scatterometer consisting of the manufactured OMT, a horn-antenna and network analyzer(Agilent 8753E) was used STCT and 2DTST to analysis the measurement accuracy of radar backscatter. The full-polarimetric RCSs of test-target, 55 cm trihedral corner reflector, measured by the calibrated scatterometer have errors of -0.2 dB and 0.25 dB for vv-/hh-polarization, respectively. The effective isolation level is about 35.8 dB in the operating frequency. Then, the horn-antenna used to measure has the length of 300 mm, the aperture size of $450{\times}450\;mm^2$, and HPBWs of $29.5^{\circ}$ and $36.5^{\circ}$ on the principle E-/H-planes.