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Shadowing by non‐Gaussian rough surfaces for which decorrelation implies statistical independence
Author(s) -
Bahar Ezekiel,
Fitzwater Mary Ann
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
radio science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1944-799X
pISSN - 0048-6604
DOI - 10.1029/rs018i004p00566
Subject(s) - decorrelation , probability density function , gaussian , gaussian surface , independence (probability theory) , mathematics , shadow (psychology) , exponential function , surface (topology) , mathematical analysis , function (biology) , statistical physics , geometry , physics , statistics , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , psychology , electric field , psychotherapist , biology
Expressions for the shadow functions are derived for a broad class of non‐Gaussian rough surfaces for which decorrelation of the surface heights implies statistical independence. The numerical results obtained for the backscatter shadow functions are compared with the shadow function for Gaussian surfaces and with recently published results for surfaces with an exponential joint height probability density that does not become statistically independent as the surface heights decorrelate. Contrary to earlier published results, it is shown that even for surfaces with large mean square slopes, the shadow function is not very sensitive to the precise form of the surface height density function assumed. This, however, does not mean that the rough surface scattering cross sections are insensitive to the assumed non‐Gaussian surface height probability density.