Characteristics of the electromagnetic calorimeter of PANDA (anti-Proton ANnihilations at DArmstadt), one of the key experiments at FAIR, have been measured at the tagged photon beam facility at MAX-lab for 61 energies in the range 12-63 MeV. The tested detector array consisted of 5x5 PbWO4 (lead tungstate) crystals designed for the forward end-cap. The array was cooled to -25 ºC and read out with conventional photomultiplier tubes. The measured energy resolution, σ/E, (for example 6 % at 20 MeV) shows that the current design meets the criterion of PANDA. The array is now ready to be equipped with vacuum phototriods designed for the forward end-cap.         As a part of the experiment, characteristics of the tagging spectrometer at MAX-lab were measured. This revealed a lowered performance in terms of resolution for low energies. A discrepancy between the nominal and the measured tagged energies was also discovered. Possible explanations to these observations are presented.

In the last decades, although the scientific community has attempted to explain a series of complex phenomena, ranging from natural hazards to physical conditions and economic crises, aspects of their generation process still escape our full understanding. The present thesis intends to promote our understanding of the spatiotemporal behavior and the generation mechanisms that govern large and strong earthquakes, employing a broad multidisciplinary perspective for the interpretation of catastrophic events. Two main questions are debated. The first question concentrates on “whether the generation process of an extreme event has more than one facets prior to its final appearance”. In the scientific study of earthquakes, attention is drawn to the predictive capability and monitoring of different precursory observations. Among them preseismic electromagnetic emissions have been also observed indicating that the science of earthquake prediction should be from the start multidisciplinary. Drawing on recently introduced models for earthquake dynamics, that address issues such as long-range correlations, self-affinity, complexity-organization and fractal structures, the present work endeavors to further penetrate on the analysis of preseismic electromagnetic emissions and elucidate their link with the generation process of large and strong earthquakes. A second question deals with “whether there is a unified approach for the study of catastrophic events”. This question implies the possibility for common statistical behavior of diverse extreme events and the potential for transferability of methods from the study of earthquake dynamics across other fields. On these grounds, the present work extends the focus of inquiry to the analysis of electroencephalogram recordings related to epileptic seizures, in the prospect to identify common mechanisms that may explain the nature and the generation process of both phenomena, and to open up different directions for future research. Finally, with a view to consider alternative ways of studying key theoretical principles associated with the generation process of catastrophic phenomena, a relevant framework based on proposed algorithms is presented, focusing on parameters such as: the energy of earthquakes, the mean and maximum magnitude of the sample, the probability that two samples may come from the same population. Such an attempt aims to contribute to the knowledge of natural phenomena, by extending the existing theory and models and providing a few more ways for their interpretation.

Location information is vital for any type of aircraft and even more crucial for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). GPS is a readily available solution but signals can easily be jammed or lost. In this thesis, radar is explored as a backup system for self-localization when GPS signals are not available. The method proposed requires that an area be pre mapped by collecting radar data with known latitude and longitude coordinates. New radar data is then collected and compared to previously stored values. Channel matrices are stored at each point and are used as the basis for location comparisons. Various methods of matrix comparison are used and both simulation as well as experimental results are shown. The main results of this thesis show that position can be determined using channel matrices if the sensor is within a certain radius of previously stored locations. This radius is on the order of a wavelength or less. Using correlation matrix comparisons the radius of localization is broadened. A novel method using multiple channel and multiple frequency data proves to be successful and determines the position of an octorotor UAS with a mean position error of less than three meters. The design of a low-cost, compact, and light-weight FMCW radar for two applications is also presented. The first application is a novel radar based positioning system that utilizes multiple channel and multiple frequency information to determine position. The second application is a UAS sense and avoid system using a monopulse configuration. Without connectors or antennas, the radar weighs 45.7 grams, is 7.5 cm x 5 cm x 3 cm in size, and costs less than $100 when built in quantities of 100 or more (excludes antennas and connectors). It is tested using delay lines and corner reflectors and accurately determines the distance to close range targets.