Characterizing animal anatomy and internal composition for electromagnetic modelling in radar entomology

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Mirkovic, D., Stepanian, P. M., Wainwright, C. E., Reynolds, D. R. and Menz, M. H. M. 2018. Characterizing animal anatomy and internal composition for electromagnetic modelling in radar entomology. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.94

AuthorsMirkovic, D., Stepanian, P. M., Wainwright, C. E., Reynolds, D. R. and Menz, M. H. M.
Abstract

The use of radar as an observational tool in entomological studies has a long history, and ongoing advances in operational radar networks and radio-frequency technology hold promise for advances in applications such as aerial insect detection, identification and quantification. Realizing this potential requires increasingly sophisticated characterizations of radio-scattering signatures
for a broad set of insect taxa, including variability in probing radar wavelength, polarization and aspect angle. Although this task has traditionally been approached through laboratory measurement of radar cross-sections, the effort required to create a comprehensive specimen-based library of scattering signatures would be prohibitive. As an alternative, we investigate the performance of electromagnetic modelling for creating such a database, focusing particularly on the influence of geometric and dielectric model properties on the accuracy of
synthesized scattering signatures. We use a published database which includes geometric size measurements and laboratory-measured radar cross-sections for
194 insect specimens. The insect anatomy and body composition were emulated using six different models, and radar cross-sections of each model were obtained through electromagnetic modelling and compared with the original laboratory measurements. Of the models tested, the prolate ellipsoid with an internal dielectric of homogenized chitin and hemolymph mixture best replicates the measurements, providing an appropriate technique for further modelling efforts.

KeywordsElectromagnetic modelling; Entomological radar; Insect RCS; Insects; Migration; Radar cross-section; Weather surveillance radar
Year of Publication2018
JournalRemote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.94
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology through Action
Funder project or codeES 1305
Publisher's version
Output statusE-publication ahead of print
Publication dates
Online03 Sep 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted25 Jul 2018
PublisherWiley
Copyright licenseCC BY
ISSN2056-3485

Permalink - https://repository.rothamsted.ac.uk/item/84886/characterizing-animal-anatomy-and-internal-composition-for-electromagnetic-modelling-in-radar-entomology

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