A Scatterometer System for Laboratory Study of Polarimetric Electromagnetic Signatures of Icy Hydrometeors

Radar sensors with dual-polarization capability allow a better understanding and characterization of weather hazards, particularly hydrometeor particles. The knowledge of natural polarimetric hydrometeor scattering signatures, on the other hand, has been limited in theoretical calculations, simulations, and radar measurements. In this paper, an experimental approach was designed with the assistance of a controlled laboratory environment. An advanced vector network analyzer-based scatterometer system has been developed in harmony with an environmentally monitored anechoic chamber with special configurations for hydrometeor measurements. The polarimetric radar cross section (RCS) of various natural and man-made icy hydrometeor samples is measured across wide X-band frequencies and compared with theoretical modeling results. The dual-polarization radar variables and hydrometeor melting parameters are derived from the RCS measurements with interesting observations obtained. The described technology and results serve as the basis of a new hydrometer microphysics knowledge base for hydrometeor classification processing in the next-generation multichannel dual-polarized hazard monitoring radars.