Radar cross section of a perfectly conducting, flat, polygonal plate over a dielectric, lossy half space: a closed form, physical optics expression

The Physical Optics approximation is employed in the derivation of a closed form expression for the Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a flat, polygonal, perfectly conducting (PEC) plate, located over a dielectric, possibly lossy half space. The well-known "four-path model" is invoked in a first order approximation of the half space contribution to the scattering mechanisms. Numerical results are successfully compared to a reference, Moment Method solution. The analytical expressions derived can facilitate very fast RCS calculations for realistic scatterers, such as ships in a sea environment, or aircraft flying low over the ground.