Moisture Sorption Hysteresis and The Independent-domain Theory: The Moisture Distribution Function

To model the phenomenon of moisture sorption hysteresis using the independent domain theory, the moisture distribution among the domains must be established. This paper describes a procedure for obtaining such moisture distribution diagram from which may be calculated the moisture content of wood subjected to a series of relative humidity (RH) changes. The procedure is a refinement of the method described by the author in an earlier paper and is more consistent with the concept of independent domains. An alternative approach using numerical methods is also described

THE EFFECTS ON U.S. NAVY DIVERSITY WITH THE REMOVAL OF OFFICER PHOTOS FROM PROMOTION SELECTION BOARDS

Since 2016, the photographs of officers being considered for selection have been removed and reinstated twice in the Officer Promotion Selection Boards (PSB), making PSBs an ideal setting to detect whether implicit or explicit bias occurs in the U.S. Navy. Using data from Defense Manpower Data Center and PSBs, I specify linear probability models to estimate the promotion outcomes of minority and female officers before and after the policy change of masking officer photos from the board. This study is similar to civilian studies on taste-based and statistical discrimination, such as blind auditions. I find that promotion outcomes are not statistically significantly changing in relation to the policy change. However, when controlling for the interaction of the photo masking policy and an indicator for minority, minorities are significantly less likely to promote to commander. I also utilize the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of the board to analyze its effect on promotion of minorities and women separately. I find that board composition does have a statistically significant impact on minorities’ promotion to lieutenant commander. On the other hand, I do not find that board composition has a significant effect on minorities’ promotions to commander and captain. Ultimately, however, due to the limitations of zone status and FITREP information in the data, this study is unable to confirm or disprove whether masking photos hurts diversity and inclusion.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

New Measurements of Venus Winds with Ground-Based Doppler Velocimetry at CFHT

operations with observations from the ground using various techniques and spectral domains (Lellouch and Witasse, 2008). We present an analysis of Venus Doppler winds at cloud tops based on observations made at the Canada France Hawaii 3.6-m telescope (CFHT) with the ESPaDOnS visible spectrograph. These observations consisted of high-resolution spectra of Fraunhofer lines in the visible range (0.37-1.05 μm) to measure the winds at cloud tops using the Doppler shift of solar radiation scattered by cloud top particles in the observer's direction (Widemann et al., 2007, 2008). The observations were made during 19-20 February 2011 and were coordinated with Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) observations by Venus Express. The complete optical spectrum was collected over 40 spectral orders at each point with 2-5 seconds exposures, at a resolution of about 80000. The observations included various points of the dayside hemisphere at a phase angle of 67°, between +10° and -60° latitude, in steps of 10° , and from +70° to -12° longitude relative to sub-Earth meridian in steps of 12°. The Doppler shift measured in scattered solar light on Venus dayside results from two instantaneous motions: (1) a motion between the Sun and Venus upper cloud particles; (2) a motion between the observer and Venus clouds. The measured Doppler shift, which results from these two terms combined, varies with the planetocentric longitude and latitude and is minimum at meridian ΦN = ΦSun - ΦEarth where the two components subtract to each other for a pure zonal regime. Due to the need for maintaining a stable velocity reference during the course of acquisition using high resolution spectroscopy, we measure relative Doppler shifts to ΦN. The main purpose of our work is to provide variable wind measurements with respect to the background atmosphere, complementary to simultaneous measurements made with the VMC camera onboard the Venus Express. We will present first results from this work, comparing with previous results by the CFHT/ESPaDOnS and VLT-UVES spectrographs (Machado et al., 2012), with Galileo fly-by measurements and with VEx nominal mission observations (Peralta et al., 2007, Luz et al., 2011). Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge support from FCT through projects PTDC/CTE-AST/110702/2009 and PEst-OE/FIS/UI2751/2011. PM and TW also acknowledge support from the Observatoire de Paris. Lellouch, E., and Witasse, O., A coordinated campaign of Venus ground-based observations and Venus Express measurements, Planetary and Space Science 56 (2008) 1317-1319. Luz, D., et al., Venus's polar vortex reveals precessing circulation, Science 332 (2011) 577-580. Machado, P., Luz, D. Widemann, T., Lellouch, E., Witasse, O, Characterizing the atmospheric dynamics of Venus from ground-based Doppler velocimetry, Icarus, submitted. Peralta J., R. Hueso, A. Sánchez-Lavega, A reanalysis of Venus winds at two cloud levels from Galileo SSI images, Icarus 190 (2007) 469-477. Widemann, T., Lellouch, E., Donati, J.-F., 2008, Venus Doppler winds at Cloud Tops Observed with ESPaDOnS at CFHT, Planetary and Space Science, 56, 1320-1334

Gravitational radiation from pulsar glitches

The nonaxisymmetric Ekman flow excited inside a neutron star following a rotational glitch is calculated analytically including stratification and compressibility. For the largest glitches, the gravitational wave strain produced by the hydrodynamic mass quadrupole moment approaches the sensitivity range of advanced long-baseline interferometers. It is shown that the viscosity, compressibility, and orientation of the star can be inferred in principle from the width and amplitude ratios of the Fourier peaks (at the spin frequency and its first harmonic) observed in the gravitational wave spectrum in the plus and cross polarizations. These transport coefficients constrain the equation of state of bulk nuclear matter, because they depend sensitively on the degree of superfluidity.Comment: 28 page

Experiments on Steady-State Nonisothermal Moisture Movement in Wood

The study was conducted to measure experimentally the steady-state uniaxial (tangential direction) moisture content and temperature profiles in moisture-sealed wood samples whose opposite faces were subjected to constant but different temperatures, and to compare these profiles with those predicted by several theoretical models. The experimental variables considered were wood species, initial moisture content, and temperature range.Opposite faces of the moisture-sealed assembly were exposed continuously for approximately five weeks to different but constant temperatures until the original uniform moisture content redistributed itself. At the steady state, a moisture content gradient opposite to the temperature gradient was established. The temperature gradient was constant in all cases, with the moisture content profile increasing almost exponentially with decreasing temperature. The absolute value of the ratio of the moisture content gradient to the temperature gradient (dM/dT)s was found to increase with wood moisture content and was observed to be higher at the higher temperature range. There was only a small difference in the -(dM/dT)s between the two species studied.The ratio -(dM/dT)s was analyzed in terms of five different theoretical models, two of which are based on nonequilibrium thermodynamics (NET) and three on classical thermodynamics. The two NET models (basic NET and Nelson models) provided the best agreement with the experimental values. The Siau model gave the next best prediction, followed by the Stanish model, and lastly by the Skaar-Siau model

Steady-State Diffusion of Chloropicrin in Douglas-Fir Heartwood

The effects of moisture content, flow direction, concentration, and temperature on the diffusion of chloropicrin in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) heartwood were investigated. Diffusion coefficients were strongly affected by wood moisture content. Coefficients for radial and tangential diffusion at the fiber-saturation point were twice as high as those at the oven-dry condition. Longitudinal diffusion coefficients, however, increased only 12.5% when the moisture content was increased over the same range. Longitudinal diffusion coefficients were about three orders of magnitude higher than those in the transverse directions, while there was no significant difference between radial and tangential diffusion coefficients. Diffusion coefficients were independent of concentration, showing the validity of Fick's law of diffusion in characterizing the flow of the fumigant in wood. Diffusion coefficients were always higher at 35 C than at 20 C; however, the difference was not statistically significant, suggesting that the flow of the fumigant is not a temperature-activated process

Modeling Wood Moisture Sorption Hysteresis Based on Similarity Hypothesis. Part II. Capillary-Radii Approach

The applicability of Mualem's capillary-radii model to wood moisture sorption hysteresis is evaluated. The model further simplifies the prediction of sorption hysteresis in that scanning curves can be obtained from the moisture content and relative humidity data of the boundary isotherms, with no other intermediate parameters needed. A comparison of predicted moisture contents with actual experimental data points for yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) indicates that the model consistently underestimates the primary desorption scanning isotherms, with errors ranging from -0.01 to -1.31. These prediction errors are slightly larger than those obtained from an earlier model based on Mualem's direct similarity hypothesis

Unsteady-State Diffusion of Moisture In Giant Timber Bamboo (Phyllostachys Bambusoides Sieb. & Zucc.)

This paper presents the results of a study to determine the rate of moisture movement in giant timber bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides Sieb. & Zucc.) when exposed to three different temperatures (20 C, 30 C, and 40 C) at two ranges of moisture content (0 to 7.5%, and 7.5 to 15%). Edge-coated samples measuring 6 mm (R) x 30 mm (T) x 150 mm (L) were exposed to a given temperature-humidity combination in a conditioning chamber. The weight of a sample was continuously monitored over time and the weight-time data were analyzed using the Boltzmann solution to the unsteady-state form of Fick's diffusion equation.Diffusion coefficients ranged from 7.3 x 10~12 to 7.8 x 10~11 m2/sec. They were greater at the higher moisture content range. They increased with temperature such that the Arrhenius equation fits the data well, giving mean activation energies of 39,875 and 35,889 J/mole for the lower and higher moisture ranges, respectively. The calculated diffusion coefficient was approximately twice as high during desorption as during adsorption