A time domain point source method for inverse scattering by rough surfaces (Q2569156)

The inverse scattering from unbounded obstacles is investigated based on the point source method. The newly developed method called the time domain point source method can reconstruct the total field even when the incident wave is not time harmonic. The location and shape of an unbounded \(C^{1,1}\) line on which the total field vanishes from measurements of scattered electromagnetic waves is determined both theoretically and numerically. Having reconstructed the total field, the scattering surface, on which the total field vanishes, is located as the locus of minima of the reconstructed total field. Although, we expect high instabilities with this straightforward approach, numerical results for an example showed that the reconstructions are accurate, over a large part of the scattering surface, with the surface height recovered within a small fraction of a wavelength, even with 5\% noise.