Wall attenuation and dispersion

Electromagnetic waves passing through a medium are subject to amplitude and phase distortions. These distortions are categorically attributed to dispersive and attenuative properties of the medium of propagation. There is an increasing need to understand and model these impairing effects in order to 2find better ways of mitigating them. In the context of through-the-wall imaging, the ultimate objective is to use the dispersion and attenuation models in developing algorithms for detection, classification, and localization of objects behind walls. This, in turn, necessitates accurate modeling of electromagnetic effects associated with wave propagation and scattering, in pursuit of devising credible solutions. Ignoring the propagation effects limits the scope of our understanding of the sensed data, decreases resolution, and reduces the effective depth for which accurate results can be obtained. An imaging architecture must address the physical propagation effects as well as modeling of the environment so that the system can sense deeper within the buildings.