Electromagnetic wave scattering by random media is important for many areas including remote sensing and target identification. Although considerable progress has been reported on the wave propagation and scattering in random media, there are many unanswered problems including the backscattering enhancement effect in the millimeter wave and microwave regions. To understand the interaction of the electromagnetic wave with medium, it is important to have experimental data obtained under controlled environments. We propose to conduct the carefully controlled experiments using random media of known statistical characteristics in the millimeter wave and microwave regions. In the surface scattering study we will construct surfaces of known mean heights and correlation distances and measure both bistatic and backscattering cross-sections. The backscattering enhancement effect by rough surface will be carefully investigated. In the imaging study we will build a special chamber and investigate the reconstructed image quality for different particle characteristics and distributions. The proposed project will enhance our understanding of how the electromagnetic wave is scattered by random media, and will have important practical applications in the microwave, millimeter wave, and sub-millimeter wave remote sensing.
