Snowpack Permittivity Retrieval Using Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

This letter deals with the estimation of the refractive index of snowpack based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. By leveraging its ability to handle multidimensional optimization problems, PSO is used both to compute the shortest path between the synthetic aperture radar tomographic system antenna and the imaged snowpack scatterers, taking into account its permittivity and to optimize the difference in depth coordinates between the snowpack tomogram and a simulated one using the same system configuration and measurement parameters. The proposed method is applied on two measured tomogram, namely, those whose data were acquired during a measurement campaign carried out in the French Alps.