The aim of the present work was to improve the predictive capabilities of current modelling methods used to assess the long-term biosphere impacts of underground repositories for radioactive wastes. A number of issues related to parameter and conceptual uncertainties associated with compartmental biosphere models that simulate transport and accumulation of radionuclides in soils were addressed. The structure of compartmental models used for radiological risk assessments has not evolved noticeably over the past few decades and most of these models rely on simple assumptions. For example, compartmental models used to predict activity concentrations of radionuclides released into soils over very long timescales (typical of the lifetime of underground disposal repositories) assume arbitrary model specifications such as soil layer thickness (the vertical discretisation of the soil column) and length of the time step. Moreover, the majority of the available models assume invariant sorption characteristics of radionuclides with soil depth and hence employ constant solid-liquid distribution coefficient (Kd) values regardless of soil characteristics known to affect radionuclide sorption (e.g. pH, redox potential, moisture content and organic matter). The empirical Kd has a profound effect on long-term predictions of radionuclide behaviour in soil since it determines the degree of radionuclide retardation due to interaction with the soil. It is associated with considerable uncertainty due to differences in experimental conditions and methods used for its measurement and the variation in soil characteristics. In this study, three soil types (arable, grassland and woodland) were incubated under anaerobic conditions and the behaviour of naturally occurring selenium, iodine, rhenium and uranium, expressed as Kd, was investigated. The results indicate that variation in soil characteristics (e.g. moisture content, pH, mineral and organic carbon content) is a significant source of K, variability. Soils relatively higher in organic matter content (e.g. top soils) have higher sorptive capacities for trace elements than mineral subsoils and hence higher Kds. Dynamic, complex behaviour of K, under flooded, anaerobic soil condtions was measured over a 3 week period in soil microcosms. This dynamic behaviour was driven by the shift in soil redox potential which was associated with solubilisation of soil organic and mineral (Fe oxide) phases. Overall, the maximum observed variation in K, over the entire incubation period did not exceed 2 orders of magnitude. Biosphere models were constructed which combined a physically-based water flow model and the compartmental approach and used to simulate the long-term vertical distribution of radionuclides in the soil as well as radionuclide dynamics under different environmental conditions. Investigating radionuclide dynamics on a short timescale could only be achieved using models with a daily time step since short-term variation was obscured by a longer (annual) time step. Simulation results give insights into some of the limitations of available biosphere modelling methods for radiological risk assessment that are often overlooked. For example, soil radionuclide activity concentrations calculated using compartmental models are sensitive to the vertical discretisation (i.e. thickness of soil layers into which the soil column is divided) and time step of the model, hence the structure of the model should not be set arbitrarily. The discretisation procedure proposed in the present study may provide a useful framework to select the appropriate structure of biosphere assessment models. With respect to the effect of uncertainty in K, on model calculations, the results show that equilibrium timescales and radionuclide activity concentrations in the soil at equilibrium increase as the K, increases. For example, the time to reach steady state radionuclide activity concentrations in the vegetated topsoil increased 14-fold and 7-fold, respectively, when K, was increased 28-fold, which is a small variation compared to the uncertainty of Kd commonly reported in the literature (e.g. a few orders of magnitude). The Kd also affects short and long-term radionuclide dynamics in soils; the activity concentration of a radionuclide with low Kd (weakly sorbing) is more responsive to seasonal fluctuations in climatic and hydrological conditions than a radionuclide with a large Kd (strongly sorbing). Radionuclide uptake by plant roots, especially those which access highly contaminated soil layers adjacent to the contaminated aquifer, could be an important mechanism that provides a direct pathway between shallow, contaminated aquifers and the soil surface where elavated contamination poses greater risks.

The angle γ, with an uncertainty of approximately 10° is the least well constrained angle of the unitary triangle. Better experimental constraints on this parameter are required in order to provide a consistency check on the standard model description of CP violation. A promising strategy for measuring γ involves exploiting interference effects present in B^± → DK^± decays where the D subsequently decays to a three or four body final state. The three body decay D → K_S ⁰p⁺p^- and the four body decay D⁰ → K⁺K^-p⁺p^- are suitable candidates for making such a measurement. However independent knowledge of the decay structure of these decays is required. The impact of the model, used to describe the p⁺p^- S wave, in the D⁰ → K⁺K^-p⁺p^- decay, on the uncertainty in the measurement of γ is estimated via a simulation study. It is determined that the uncertainty on a gamma measurement would be compromised by this model uncertainty within one year of LHCb data running. The four body decay D⁰ → K⁺K^-p⁺p^- also provides a candidate for making a γ measurement. This decay is expected to display a rich resonant structure. An understanding of this decay may also provide an insight into low energy QCD in addition to allowing a search for CP violation. Only one previous amplitude analysis has been performed on this decay. Using data collected at the CLEO-II.V, CLEO-III and CLEO-c experiments an amplitude model is developed for the D⁰ → K⁺K^-p⁺p^- decay. This model is qualitatively similar to that produced in the previous analysis although the model presented in this thesis considers higher orbital angular momentum states and distinguishes between conjugate states that the previous model did not. A search for CP violation is also carried out using the D⁰ → K⁺K^-p⁺p^- decay data. A positive confirmation of CP violation at the level of sensitivity provided by this decay data would provide evidence for a level of CP violation which could not be accounted for within the standard model. No significant evidence for CP violation is observed in this decay. A toy MC study was carried out in order to determine the sensitivity to γ which may be achieved using this decay. In this study, sets of 1000 B⁺ and B^- events are generated and the decay model developed for the D → K⁺K^-p⁺p^- decay is used to describe the D decay. The sensitivity to γ determined in this study is 11°.

Η μεταπτυχιακή διατριβή με θέμα: «Φυσική Ραδιενέργεια των κλαστικών και ανθρακικών ιζημάτων στην περιοχή ανατολικά της Ηγουμενίτσας», έχει ως αντικείμενο την αναγνώριση, μελέτη και ανάλυση της φυσικής ραδιενέργειας των φυσικών ραδιονουκλιδίων U238, Th232, Ra226 και K40 στις κλαστικές αποθέσεις ηλικίας Μειοκαίνου (Ακουιτάνιο) και στις κλαστικές αποθέσεις των υποθαλάσσιων ριπιδίων Ηωκαίνου και Ολιγοκαίνου, και στο ποσοστό συγκέντρωσής τους στις παλαιότερες ανθρακικές και σύγχρονες κλαστικές ακολουθίες της περιοχής Νεράιδας Θεσπρωτίας, καθώς επίσης και στην ερμηνεία των αποτελεσμάτων ως προς την ταυτοποίηση της πηγής προέλευσής τους. Η περιοχή μελέτης ανήκει στη λεκάνη Φιλιάτες-Παραμυθιάς Ηπείρου και αποτελεί τμήμα ενός εκ των φλυσχικών συγκλίνων, τα οποία αναπτύσσονται στη δυτική Ελλάδα μέσα στην Ιόνια ζώνη, εξαιτίας της δράσης των εσωτερικών επωθήσεων. Η υπαίθρια δειγματοληψία πραγματοποιήθηκε στην ανθρακική και κλαστική ακολουθία, με τη συλλογή 45 συνολικά δειγμάτων, εκ των οποίων 8 ήταν ασβεστολιθικά, 18 ψαμμιτικά, 18 πηλιτικά και 1 σύγχρονης ποτάμιας άμμου. Η περιγραφή των ιζηματολογικών ενοτήτων βασίστηκε σε βιβλιογραφικά δεδομένα των γύρω περιοχών, καθότι δεν πραγματοποιήθηκαν ιζηματολογικές και γεωχημικές αναλύσεις. Οι κλαστικές ακολουθίες ταξινομήθηκαν βάσει του γεωλογικού χάρτη του Ι.Γ.Μ.Ε. φύλλο Φιλιάτες 1962-63, 1:50.000, ως αποθέσεις του Ανώτερου Φλύσχη ηλικίας Ακουιτανίου και αποθέσεις του Φλύσχη των Αγ. Πάντων ηλικίας Ηωκαίνου-Ολιγοκαίνου. Στην κατεύθυνση της ραδιοχημικής έρευνας, πραγματοποιήθηκε μια σειρά από ραδιοχημικές αναλύσεις σε όλο των αριθμό των δειγμάτων, προκειμένου να εκτιμηθεί η συγκέντρωση ενεργότητας των φυσικών ραδιονουκλιδίων των ανθρακικών και κλαστικών ακολουθιών, με σκοπό να εντοπιστεί η πηγή προέλευσής τους και η δυνατότητα αποθήκευσής τους, στους συγκεκριμένους σχηματισμούς. Η μέτρηση της συγκέντρωσης ενεργότητας του 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, και 40K έγινε με τη μέθοδο της γ-φασματομετρίας, με τη χρήση υπερκάθαρου ανιχνευτή γερμανίου (HPGe) της Canberra. Ο κύριος στόχος αυτής της προσπάθειας, ήταν να διαπιστωθεί η ύπαρξη των φυσικών ραδιονουκλιδίων στην ανθρακική ακολουθία, καθώς και η συγκέντρωσή τους στην κλαστική ακολουθία, λόγω δευτερογενούς μετανάστευσής τους, από τις ήδη ταυτοποιημένες φωσφορούχες αποθέσεις των γειτονικών περιοχών. Η περιοχή μελέτης δεν εμφάνισε υπερβολικές τιμές συγκέντρωσης ενεργότητας φυσικών ραδιονουκλιδίων σε κανέναν από τους γεωλογικούς σχηματισμούς που ερευνήθηκαν. Η ανθρακική ακολουθία της περιοχής χαρακτηρίστηκε πολύ φτωχή στα υπό μελέτη φυσικά ραδιονουκλίδια, σε αντίθεση με την κλαστική ακολουθία, η οποία εμφάνισε γενικά αυξημένες τιμές συγκέντρωσης ενεργότητας φυσικών ραδιονουκλιδίων. Τέλος, βάσει των συγκεντρώσεων που εντοπίστηκαν στις σύγχρονες ποτάμιες προσχώσεις της περιοχής μελέτης, τα Τεταρτογενή ιζήματα της περιοχής χαρακτηρίστηκαν ως αρκετά εμπλουτισμένα, συμπεραίνοντας την ύπαρξη σύγχρονης τροφοδοσίας φυσικών ραδιονουκλιδίων μέσω οριζόντιων ρηγμάτων. Συμπεραίνοντας, οι κλαστικές ακολουθίες του Φλύσχη των Αγ. Πάντων, Ηωκαίνου και Ολιγοκαίνου και τα Τεταρτογενή ιζήματα της περιοχής, δεν χαρακτηρίζονται ως άμεσα προτεινόμενοι σχηματισμοί για τη χρήση αδρανών υλικών, ενώ προτείνεται εκτενέστερη μελέτη στους Τεταρτογενείς σχηματισμούς της Εξωτερικής Ιονίου. / The subject of postgraduate thesis «Natural radioactivity of clastic and carbonate sediments located eastern of Igoumenitsas area (Western Greece)» is dealing with the recognition, study and analysis of natural radioactivity of natural radionuclides U238, Th232, Ra226 και K40 in the Miocene (Aquitanian) clastic deposits, Eocene and Oligocene clastic deposits of the submarine fans and their concentration amount in the older carbonate and contemporary clastic sequences of the study area located in the village Neraida of Thesprotia. It also deals with the interpretation of results in terms of the identification of the source. The study area is located in the basin of Filiates-Paramithia of Epirus and constitutes a part of the flysch syclins, developed in Western Greece within the Ionian zone, due to the activity of internal thrusts. The sampling was accomplished in the carbonate and clastic sequences, with the collection of 45 rock samples: 8 limestones, 18 sandstones, 18 siltstones and 1 sample of contemporary fluvial sand. The sedimentological units description was based in bibliographical data, since sedimentological and geochemical analyses were not accomplished. The clastic sequences were classified based on the geological map of I.G.M.E. Filiates sheet 1962-63, 1:50.000, as Upper Flysch depotites Aquitanian ages and Ag. Panton Flysch deposites Eocene-Oligicene ages. Towards the radiochemical research a sequence of radiochemical analyzes were accomplished, in order to evaluate the activity concentration of natural radionuclides of carbonate and clastic sequences, with the aim of locating their source and the potential of their storage in these specific formations. The activity concentration measurement of 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K was carried out with gamma-spectometry method, using the High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) of Canberra Company. The main aim of this effort was the establishment of the existence of the natural radionuclides in the carbonate sequence, as well as their concentration in the clastic sequence, due to their secondary migration from the already identified phosphatic deposits of the adjacent areas. None of the studied geological formations of the study area presented exaggerating activity concentration of natural radionuclides values. The carbonate sequence in terms of the studied natural radionuclides was characterized as quite poor, contrasting to the clastic sequence, which generally showed increasing activity concentration of natural radionuclides values. Finally, based on the concentrations traced in the contemporary fluvial deposits of the study area, the Quaternary sediments of the area were characterized as sufficiently enriched, concluding to the existence of contemporary source of natural radionuclides through horizontal faults. Concluding, the Eocene – Oligocene clastic sequences of Ag. Panton Flysch and the Quaternary sediments of the area, are not characterized as immediately preferred formations for the usage of aggregate materials, while additionally a more extensive research in the Quaternary formations of External Ionian Zone is suggested.