Backscatter analysis of dihedral corner reflectors using physical optics and the physical theory of diffraction

The backscatter cross-sections of dihedral corner reflectors in the azimuthal plane are presently determined by both physical optics (PO) and the physical theory of diffraction (PTD), yielding results for the vertical and horizontal polarizations. In the first analysis method used, geometrical optics is used in place of PO at initial reflections in order to maintain the planar character of the reflected wave and reduce the complexity of the analysis. In the second method, PO is used at almost every reflection in order to maximize the accuracy of the PTD solution at the expense of a rapid increase in complexity. Induced surface current densities and resulting cross section patterns are illustrated for the two methods.