Meteorological Institute, University of Bonn, Auf dem Hugel, 20, 53121 Bonn, Germany; Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
Battaglia, A., Meteorological Institute, University of Bonn, Auf dem Hugel, 20, 53121 Bonn, Germany; Ajewole, M.O., Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria; Simmer, C., Meteorological Institute, University of Bonn, Auf dem Hugel, 20, 53121 Bonn, Germany
A numerical model based on the Monte Carlo solution of the vector radiative transfer equation has been adopted to simulate radar signals. The model accounts for general radar configurations such as airborne/ spaceborne/ground based and monostatic/bistatic and includes the polarization and the antenna pattern as particularly relevant features. Except for contributions from the backscattering enhancement, the model is particularly suitable for evaluating multiple-scattering effects. It has been validated against some analytical methods that provide solutions for the first and second order of scattering of the copolar intensity for pencil-beam/Gaussian antennas in the transmitting/ receiving segment. The model has been applied to evaluate the multiple scattering when penetrating inside a uniform hydrometeor layer. In particular, the impact of the phase function, the range-dependent scattering optical thickness, and the effects of the antenna footprint are considered. © 2006 American Meteorological Society.
Computer simulation; Evaluation; Mathematical models; Monte Carlo methods; Vectors; Global precipitation mission (GPM); Radar configurations; Radar multiple-scattering effects; Radar signals; Vector radiative transfer equation; Meteorological radar; Monte Carlo analysis; numerical model; radar; radiative transfer; scattering