The echo area of a perfectly conducting prolate spheroid

An approximate general solution for the electromagnetic backscattering by a perfectly conducting prolate spheroid is derived. The solution is obtained from an estimate of the solution to a transient scattering problem which is deduced, in part, from the known time-dependent backscattered waveform for a perfectly conducting sphere. From the analysis the echo signal as a function of the source frequency for arbitrary orientation of the spheroid and arbitrary linear polarization of the incident plane electromagnetic wave can be predicted in the resonance region. Calculated results for a 2:1 axial ratio spheroid are compared with experimental data for two principal polarizations and major axes ranging from 0.32 to 1.59 wavelengths.