Incoherent signal source resolution based on coherent aperture synthesis

Abstract

A technique is proposed for resolving two incoherent signal sources of the same frequency and significantly different intensities with similar angular coordinates. The technique is based on aperture synthesis of a receiving array, first, by the signal of higher-power source and the estimate of its angular coordinate with subsequent subtraction of the signal spectrum from the angular spectrum of the received field. This makes it possible to achieve aperture synthesis and estimate the angle of arrival of a higher-power signal. Thus, the technique is of interest not only for synthesized apertures, but also for arrays with a filled aperture, since it eliminates the restrictions imposed by the presence of lateral lobes of the array response. Our mathematical simulation data demonstrate the efficiency of this technique in the detection and location of weak signals against the background of high-power noise sources even at their close angular positions.