Electronic – Correct Term for Radiation Pattern of Target

radioterminologywave

I am hoping that this is the right forum for questions related to radar systems.

The radiation pattern for an antenna is (a plot of) the relative strength of an emitted antennas signal as a function of the direction out from the antenna.

However a radar "target" will also have its own radiation pattern in response to an incident wave. The relative strength of the reflected waves will depend on the direction from which they are viewed, as well as the direction of the incident wave. I have come across the term Radar Cross-section, but I am not sure if this is the correct term for what I need to describe(Particularly since I'm not ultimately describing a radar system).

So does anyone know a term for the "radiation profile" of a wave reflecting object as a function of both incident and reflected wave direction?

Best Answer

I would use the term "Polar Response" or "Polar Gain Response". Typically it is graphed as such:

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Where 0 degrees (straight up) is along the main axis of the antenna.