Application of coupled-wave Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation to ground penetrating radar

This paper deals with bistatic subsurface probing of a horizontally layered dielectric half-space by means of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves. In particular, the main objective of this work is to present a new method for the solution of the two-dimensional back-scattering problem arising when a pulsed electromagnetic signal impinges on a non-uniform dielectric half-space; this scenario is of interest for ground penetrating radar (GPR) applications. For the analytical description of the signal generated by the interaction of the emitted pulse with the environment, we developed and implemented a novel time-domain version of the coupled-wave Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation. We compared our solution with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) results, achieving a very good agreement. We then applied the proposed technique to two case studies: in particular, our method was employed for the post-processing of experimental radargrams collected on Lake Chebarkul, in Russia, and for the simulation of GPR probing of the Moon surface, to detect smooth gradients of the dielectric permittivity in lunar regolith. The main conclusions resulting from our study are that our semi-analytical method is accurate, radically accelerates calculations compared to simpler mathematical formulations with a mostly numerical nature (such as the FDTD technique), and can be effectively used to aid the interpretation of GPR data. The method is capable to correctly predict the protracted return signals originated by smooth transition layers of the subsurface dielectric medium. The accuracy and numerical efficiency of our computational approach make promising its further development

Search for Chelyabinsk Meteorite Fragments in Chebarkul Lake Bottom (GPR and Magnetic Data), Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2017, nr 3

The paper summarizes experimental efforts of the Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation (IZMIRAN) undertaken in search of the biggest part of Chelyabinsk meteorite in the bottom of lake Chebarkul, South Ural, Russia, and to estimate the ecological effects of its subsequent excavation

Short-term scientific missions on forward and inverse electromagnetic-scattering techniques for ground penetrating radar

This work aims at offering an overview on the scientific results stemming from a selection of three Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) carried out in 2016 and funded by the COST Action TU1208 "Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar." The research activities focused on the development and use of electromagnetic modelling and inversion techniques for Ground Penetrating Radar applications. In a STSM, a scientist has the possibility to visit a colleague abroad, in order to undertake joint research and share experience, techniques, equipment and infrastructures that may not be available in the home institution. This is a powerful networking tool that allows developing linkages and scientific collaborations between institutions involved in a COST Action