This thesis is part of a project focusedon investigating the possibility ofmeasuring void distributions usingtransmission tomography with fastneutrons. The measurements are plannedto be conducted at thermal hydraulictest loops. The project, called STUNT,is carried out at Uppsala University atthe division for applied nuclearphysics.The purpose of this work was to designand optimize a detection system for thedetection of fast neutrons in the abovementioned environment. For this purpose,detector elements consisting of theplastic scintillator material EJ208 wasmodeled using the particle transportcode MCNPX.Both plate shaped elements and fibers ofdifferent dimensions where tested forperformance.Through a comparison utilizing severalfigures of merit and MATLAB, the plateshape was selected with an element widthof 2.6 mm. During the optimizationprocess a possible detector design with73 detector plates was chosen. At anenergy threshold of 11 MeV the followingdesign parameters were found; adetection efficiency of 3.0 %, a signalto background ratio of 15, a totalmeasurement time of 3600 s and a pixelresolution of 1.4 mm.A point spread function was produced andtwo projection tests where conductedusing a water filled steel cylinder asobject. / STUNT

A wide range of conditions are characterised by focal neurological symptoms, yet the pathophysiolgy often remains poorly understood. This thesis has focussed on applying functional neuroimaging in clinical groups. Migraines with aura are amongst the most common conditions posing a significant burden to sufferers. Elevated connectivity was detected in the visual cortex of migraine with aura patients, potentially complementing one of the leading proposed mechanisms for attacks. Minor strokes patients are also affected by focal symptoms after events which in some cases can be prolonged. Altered connectivity was observed in a number of regions reflecting previous findings for acute stroke. A group of transient ischaemic attack patients were also analysed, revealing subtle differences necessitating further study. Lastly disorders of consciousness pose acute challenges for treatment and ongoing care. Task based imaging was applied to form a more accurate picture of residual cognition. Additionally the correlation between measures derived from resting state data and cerebral glucose consumption was explored.

The study deals with the image reconstructions using the ultrasound propagation speed measuring and it extends the project of the ultrasound transmission tomography organised in cooperation with the research centre Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany). There were data processed which had been gained with the 3D ultrasound transmission tomography system (3D USCT). The ultrasound propagation speed was measured using the detection of ultrasound ray travelling time from a transmitter to a receiver. There were three new algorithms developed for the detection of an ultrasound impulse and the software generating suitable testing data. The developed algorithms were consequently tried with these data and, then, included into the existing software. All software was developed within the Matlab programming environment.

Les travaux de recherche de cette thèse s'inscrivent dans le cadre général de l'expertise des projets de stockage de déchets radioactifs en couche argileuse. La présence de failles dans ces roches peut modifier ses propriétés de perméabilité ; la détection des failles constitue donc un enjeu majeur. Depuis de nombreuses années, l'IRSN mène des travaux de recherche dans la station expérimentale de Tournemire où des failles à faible décalage vertical sont interceptées dans le milieu argileux depuis des ouvrages souterrains. Les travaux précédents ont montré la difficulté de détecter ces failles depuis des acquisitions de surface que cela soit en sismique réflexion, réfraction ou en électrique.Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous avons proposé une nouvelle géométrie d'acquisition sismique en transmission (sources en surface-récepteurs dans les ouvrages souterrains). Pour traiter ces données, un code de tomographie a été développé afin de maîtriser parfaitement les paramètres d'inversion et aussi d'introduire de l'information a priori. De nombreux tests synthétiques ont ensuite été menés dans le souci d'analyser de manière fiable les résultats obtenus, notamment en termes de résolution et de pertinence de l'image. L'application de ce code de tomographie aux données en transmission nouvellement acquises permet de mettre en évidence pour la première fois une discontinuité des vitesses sismiques dans les calcaires et argilites de la Station Expérimentale de Tournemire. Cette anomalie de vitesse est localisée à l'aplomb de la zone de faille visible depuis les ouvrages souterrains et est aussi en accord avec les observations de surface. / Deep argillaceous formations have physical properties adapted to the radioactive waste disposal but their permeability properties can be modified by the presence of fractured zones; detection of these faulted zones are thus of primary importance. Several experiments have been led by IRSN in the Experimental Platform of Tournemire where faults with small vertical offsets in the deep argillaceous formation have been identified from underground installations. Some previous studies have shown the difficulty to detect this fractured zone from surface acquisitions using reflection or refraction seismic but also with electrical methods.We here propose a new seismic transmission acquisition geometry in where seismic sources are deployed at the surface and receivers are installed in the underground installations. In the scope to process these data, a new tomography algorithm has been developed in order to control the inversion parameters and also to introduce a priori information. Several synthetic tests have been led to reliably analyze the results in terms of resolution and relevance of the final image. A discontinuity of the seismic velocities in the limestones and argillites of the Tournemire Platform is evidenced for the first time by applying the algorithm to the data recently acquired. This low velocity anomaly is located just above the fracture zone visible from the underground installations and its location is also consistent with observations from the surface.