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NASA NTRS1987

Data volume reduction for imaging radar polarimetry

Two data reduction algorithms developed using the scattering and phase matrix approaches are described. In the scattering matrix approach, the scattering matrices of four consecutive along-track pixels are averaged and in the phase matrix approach, the phase matrices of four consecutive along-track pixels are averaged. The basic procedures necessary to generate a synthetic polarization image from original data sets are discussed. The two algorithms are evaluated in terms of data volume reduction and the number of errors introduced in the synthesized images. It is observed that the reduced data set produced by the scattering matrix algorithm is smaller than that generated by the phase matrix algorithm; however, greater errors are introduced into the data set by the scattering matrix algorithm than the phase algorithm. Flowcharts for the scattering and phase matrix approaches and for synthesis of uncompressible data are presented.

Dubois, Pascale C.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Data volume reduction for imaging radar polarimetry

Two alternative methods are presented for digital reduction of synthetic aperture multipolarized radar data using scattering matrices, or using Stokes matrices, of four consecutive along-track pixels to produce averaged data for generating a synthetic polarization image.

Zebker, Howard A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Compression Of Data In Imaging Radar Polarimetry

Algorithms developed to reduce number of radar polarimetric data processed to synthesize image of arbitrary combination of transmitting and receiving polarizations. Brings image-processing requirements within computing capabilities of typical users, without degrading images excessively. In scattering-matrix approach to reduction of image data, four adjacent picture elements combined into one by synthesizing new scattering matrix from scattering matrices of four elements. In phase-matrix approach, phase matrices generated from scattering matrices of four adjacent picture elements, and four phase matrices added to combine four picture elements into one.

Zebker, H. A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Multifrequency imaging radar polarimetry: Depolarisation of radar echoes at three wavelengths

It is shown that high resolution imaging radar polarimeters can describe depolarization effects in great detail by measuring the complete Stokes matrix for small regions on the Earth's surface, permitting to distinguish between coherent polarization transformation by the surface and diffuse interactions that randomize the polarization state of the received wave. Multiwavelength polarimeter observations of a variety of types of terrain, including images of the coherent and diffuse parts of the received signal are presented. The diffuse image, in particular, is highly indicative of small-scale surface roughness, an effect illustrated by analyzing a set of polarimeter images acquired over lava fields of varying roughness.

Zebker, H. A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Application of radar polarimetry to forestry

In order to understand L-band multipolarization radar measurements of forested areas, a model for the forest polarization signature was developed. The model is based on backscatter from dielectric cylinders which represent branches and trunks. In the model the Stokes matrices corresponding to several different scattering mechanisms is calculated, combining the results to get the total Stokes matrix. Comparison of model predictions with radar measurements shows that the model can accurately predict the forest polarization signature.

Durden, S. L.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Radar polarimetry - Analysis tools and applications

The authors have developed several techniques to analyze polarimetric radar data from the NASA/JPL airborne SAR for earth science applications. The techniques determine the heterogeneity of scatterers with subregions, optimize the return power from these areas, and identify probable scattering mechanisms for each pixel in a radar image. These techniques are applied to the discrimination and characterization of geologic surfaces and vegetation cover, and it is found that their utility varies depending on the terrain type. It is concluded that there are several classes of problems amenable to single-frequency polarimetric data analysis, including characterization of surface roughness and vegetation structure, and estimation of vegetation density. Polarimetric radar remote sensing can thus be a useful tool for monitoring a set of earth science parameters.

Evans, Diane L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Unsupervised classification of scattering behavior using radar polarimetry data

The use of an imaging radar polarimeter data for unsupervised classification of scattering behavior is described by comparing the polarization properties of each pixel in a image to that of simple classes of scattering such as even number of reflections, odd number of reflections, and diffuse scattering. For example, when this algorithm is applied to data acquired over the San Francisco Bay area in California, it classifies scattering by the ocean as being similar to that predicted by the class of odd number of reflections, scattering by the urban area as being similar to that predicted by the class of even number of reflections, and scattering by the Golden Gate Park as being similar to that predicted by the diffuse scattering class. It also classifies the scattering by a lighthouse in the ocean and boats on the ocean surface as being similar to that predicted by the even number of reflections class, making it easy to identify these objects against the background of the surrounding ocean. The algorithm is also applied to forested areas and shows that scattering from clear-cut areas and agricultural fields is mostly similar to that predicted by the odd number of reflections class, while the scattering from tree-covered areas generally is classified as being a mixture of pixels exhibiting the characteristics of all three classes, although each pixel is identified with only a single class.

Van Zyl, Jakob J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Polarimetry of four Wolf-Rayet stars

Time-dependent broadband linear polarimetric observations of four WR stars are presented. On a time basis of days, WR 3 and SR 131 displayed no polarization variability above measurement errors. The position angle of WR 3 was consistent with the polarization being mainly of interstellar origin. The polarization of WR 103 showed variations, in one night on a time scale of hours. The polarization of WR 151 showed a modulation with orbital phase that was used to derive an estimate of the WN5 and O8 star's masses, of 6 and 14 solar masses, respectively. Four phenomenological types of polarization variability are introduced, and the stars are described in terms of them.

Schulte-Ladbeck, Regina E.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Photometry and polarimetry of Mercury

Information available on the photometric and polarimetric properties of Mercury's surface is discussed, with special consideration given to data concerning the nature of the Mercurial regolith and the comparison of the Mercury's photometric properties with those of the moon. The results from an analysis performed in terms of Hapke's (1981, 1984, 1986) photometric function confirm the remarkable similarity of photometric properties of the two celestial bodies. However, their highland/mare alabedo ratios differs considerably; while the ratio is about 2 on the moon, it is only about 1.4 on Mercury. Mercury also shows slightly lower values of the maximum positive polarization observed, a difference that is consistent with either a slightly higher average reflectance for Mercury, or with a difference in regolith texture, or both.

Veverka, J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Multicolor optical polarimetry of reddened stars in the small Magellanic cloud

First results of an on-going program to determine the wavelength dependence of the interstellar optical polarization of reddened stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are presented. IUE observations of reddened stars in the SMC (Bouchet et al. 1985) generally show marked differences in the extinction law as compared to both the Galaxy and the Large Megallanic Cloud. The aim here is to determine the wavelength dependence of the optical linear polarization in the direction of several such stars in the SMC in order to further constrain the dust composition and size distribution in that galaxy.

Magalhaes, Antonio M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Polarimetry of extreme ultraviolet lines in solar astronomy

Ways are suggested in which recent advancements in the fabrication of ultrasmooth, low scatter flow-polished mirror substrates and high-quality multilayer and interference film coatings can be used to create novel optical instruments for observing linear-polarization effects in the outer solar atmosphere. Attention is given to the observational parameters of all-reflective FUV/EUV imaging polarimeters; such a coronagraph/polarimeter, operating at Ly-alpha, could yield the first measurements of coronal vector magnetic fields.

Fineschi, Silvano↗

NASA NTRS1991

Calibrated imaging radar polarimetry - Technique, examples, and applications

The authors developed a calibration procedure for imaging radar polarimeters and applied it to a set of images acquired by the NASA DC-8 multifrequency radar system. The technique requires the use of ground reflectors known cross-section for absolute calibration, that is, solution for sigma exp 0; however, the image data themselves can usually provide all information necessary for phase calibration and for antenna crosstalk correction. The accuracy of the approach, as measured by calculating the cross-section residuals of known targets in each calibrated scene, is on the order of +/- 1-2 dB at P- and C-band, but improves to +/- 0.5 dB at L-band. The authors present the results of applying this technique to radar scenes of lava flows of varying roughness, temperate and tropical rain forests, and ocean water surfaces. They also present several example applications which are feasible with calibrated data but which would be difficult to implement with uncalibrated data.

Zebker, Howard A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Solar EUV/FUV line polarimetry. I - Observational parameters and theoretical considerations. II - Instruments and methods

The paper discusses theoretical considerations and presents the observational parameters for the development of reflective FUV coronagraph/polarimeter and EUV imaging polarimeter instruments. New EUV/FUV polarimeter instrument concepts for solar research are described. One of these is a new coronagraph/polarimeter operating at 1215.6 A, which could observe the neutral hydrogen Ly-alpha line in the near solar corona and lead to the first direct measurements of both the strength and the direction of coronal magnetic fields. The other is a new multilayer EUV imaging polarimeter, operating at the wavelengths of strong He emission lines, which could observe impact polarization phenomena and provide information concerning the relative importance of thermal and nonthermal processes in solar flares.

Fineschi, Silvano↗

NASA NTRS1992

Pioneer Venus polarimetry and haze optical thickness

The Pioneer Venus mission provided us with high-resolution measurements at four wavelengths of the linear polarization of sunlight reflected by the Venus atmosphere. These measurements span the complete phase angle range and cover a period of more than a decade. A first analysis of these data by Kawabata et al. confirmed earlier suggestions of a haze layer above and partially mixed with the cloud layer. They found that the haze exhibits large spatial and temporal variations. The haze optical thickness at a wavelength of 365 nm was about 0.06 at low latitudes, but approximately 0.8 at latitudes from 55 deg poleward. Differences between morning and evening terminator have also been reported by the same authors. Using an existing cloud/haze model of Venus, we study the relationship between the haze optical thickness and the degree of linear polarization. Variations over the visible disk and phase angle dependence are investigated. For that purpose, exact multiple scattering computations are compared with Pioneer Venus measurements. To get an impression of the variations over the visible disk, we have first studied scans of the polarization parallel to the intensity equator. After investigating a small subset of the available data we have the following results. Adopting the haze particle characteristics given by Kawabata et al., we find a thickening of the haze at increasing latitudes. Further, we see a difference in haze optical thickness between the northern and southern hemispheres that is of the same order of magnitude as the longitudinal variation of haze thickness along a scan line. These effects are most pronounced at a wavelength of 935 nm. We must emphasize the tentative nature of the results, because there is still an enormous amount of data to be analyzed. We intend to combine further polarimetric research of Venus with constraints on the haze parameters imposed by physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere.

Knibbe, W. J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Interpreting asteroid photometry and polarimetry using a model of shadowing and coherent backscattering

The shadow-hiding models for the opposition effect and negative polarization of atmosphereless solar system bodies do not explain some experimental findings, such as the enhancing opposition effect and negative polarization with decreasing particle size down to wavelength scales. The enhancement for laboratory photometric and polarimetric data on artificial glass samples with different particle size is shown. These results are in agreement with the so-called coherent backscattering or interference mechanism proposed for the interpretation of the opposition effect and negative polarization. Two different approaches for describing the opposition effect and negative polarization produced by the shadow-interference mechanism were developed. One is based on exact electromagnetic solutions for simple scattering systems that include dipole-dipole and dipole-surface coupling; The other is based on a point-scatterer approximation characterized by model photometric and polarimetric phase functions, and the mutual shadowing effect is derived using virtual volumes associated with the point-scatterers. Both approaches yield qualitatively similar results, although neither is entirely satisfactory. We regard them as prototypes for a future unified model of shadowing and coherent backscattering. The sharp opposition effect of 44 Nysa and the asteroid albedo-polarization rule are here explained using the point-scatterer approach.

Shkuratov, Y. G.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Photometry, polarimetry, spectroscopy, and spectropolarimetry of the enigmatic Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris

New observations of the peculiar Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris collected since 1987 are presented, and photometric, polarimetric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric data are discussed. Linear polarization data are well fitted with an eccentric binary model where an additional free parameter is included to allow for epoch-dependent changes of the geometrical electron distribution in the W-R envelope. This yields a set of basic parameters, including an eccentricity e = 0.39 +/- 0.02 and an orbital inclination i = 114 deg +/- 3 deg. The spectroscopic data show global profile variations for all three observed strong emission lines He II 5412 A, C IV 5807 A, and He I 5876 A. Radial velocities of the lines vary with the 3.766-day period. Radially expanding inhomogeneities are superposed on the line profiles and variable polarization in the lines is observed.

Robert, Carmelle↗

NASA NTRS1992

Polarimetry and spectroscopy of a simple sunspot. I - On the magnetic field of a sunspot penumbra

We investigate the magnetic field structure of a medium sized sunspot using high resolution magnetograms and spectrograms and derive a relationship between the brightness of penumbral structures and the inclination of the magnetic field. The field inclination to the spot normal is larger in the dark structures than in the bright ones. We show that the field strength does not vary between dark and bright structures. At the inner penumbral boundary the field strength is 2000 Gauss and about 1000 Gauss at the outer penumbral edge. The line-of sight component of the material flow decreases rapidly within one arcsecond at the photospheric boundary of the spot.

Schmidt, W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Magnetic field in a low-mass protostar disk - Millimeter polarimetry of IRAS 16293-2422

We have measured the millimeter polarization of IRAS 16293-2422, a low-mass protostar candidate embedded in the east streamer of the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud. The source has a linear polarization at 1.1 mm of (2.8 +/- 0.5) percent at a position angle of 144 deg +/- 5 deg with a 19 arcsec beam. If this polarization is due to thermal emission from magnetically aligned nonspherical grains in a dust disk around the central (proto)star, then the magnetic field threads across the disk at a position angle of 54 deg +/- 5 deg projected on the sky. This direction is the same as that of the minor axis of the elongated circumstellar gas disk (of scale 1600 AU) and of the direction of one of the quadratic outflows. There is no positive evidence for a twisted magnetic field in the dust disk, which constrains the hydromagnetic models for molecular outflows, at least for this source.

Tamura, Motohide↗