Radar Cross Section (RCS)

AN-SOF calculates the bistatic RCS based on the fixed plane wave incident direction defined in the Excitation panel of the Setup tab.

To calculate monostatic RCS (where the incident direction varies to match the observation point), you must use the AN-SOF Engine console application.

Accessing RCS Data

To open the Power Budget/RCS dialog box, navigate to Results > Power Budget/RCS in the main menu (Fig. 1). When an incident field is used for excitation, the following frequency-dependent parameters are available:

• RCS (m²): The Radar Cross Section expressed in square meters.
• RCS (WL²): The Radar Cross Section expressed in square wavelengths.
• RCS (dBsw): The Radar Cross Section in decibels relative to a square wavelength.
• Radiated Power: The total scattered power originating from the structure.
• Structure Loss: The total power consumed by ohmic losses within the structure itself.
• Av. Power Density: The scattered power density averaged over all directions in space.
• Max. Power Density: The maximum value of the scattered power density.
• Theta (max) and Phi (max): The zenith and azimuth angles identifying the direction of maximum scattered radiation.

Far-Field Physics

These metrics are derived from the scattered field pattern in the far-field region. In this zone:

1. The scattered field amplitude decays at a rate of $1/r$.
2. The scattered power density decays at a rate of $1/r^2$.

Plotting Results

To visualize the frequency response of a specific parameter:

1. Select the desired item from the list in the upper-right corner of the dialog box.
2. Press the Plot button to display the data in AN-XY Chart.