Abundance of He-3 and other solar-wind-derived volatiles in lunar soil

Volatiles implanted into the lunar regolith by the solar wind are potentially important lunar resources. Wittenberg et al. (1986) have proposed that lunar He-3 could be used as a fuel for terrestrial nuclear fusion reactors. They argue that a fusion scheme involving D and He-3 would be cleaner and more efficient than currently-proposed schemes involving D and T. However, since the terrestrial inventory of He-3 is so small, they suggest that the lunar regolith, with concentrations of the order of parts per billion (by mass) would be an economical source of He-3. Solar-wind implantation is also the primary source of H, C, and N in lunar soil. These elements could also be important, particularly for life support and for propellant production. In a SERC study of the feasibility of obtaining the necessary amount of He-3, Swindle et al. (1990) concluded that the available amount is sufficient for early reactors, at least, but that the mining problems, while not necessarily insurmountable, are prodigious. The volatiles H, C, and N, on the other hand, come in parts per million level abundances. The differences in abundances mean that (1) a comparable amount of H, C, and/or N could be extracted with orders of magnitude smaller operations than required for He-3, and (2) if He-3 extraction ever becomes important, huge quantities of H, C, and N will be produced as by-products

Noble gases as tracers of the origin and evolution of the Martian atmosphere and the degassing history of the planet

Noble gas analysis of Martian samples can provide answers to a number of crucial questions. Some of the most obvious benefits will be in Martian chronology, using techniques that have been applied to lunar samples. However, these are by no means the only relevant noble gas studies possible. Since Mars has a substantial atmosphere, noble gases can be used to study the origin and evolution of that atmosphere, including the degassing history of the planet. This type of study can provide constraints on: (1) the total noble gas inventory of the planet, (2) the number of noble gas reservoirs existing, and (3) the exchange of gases between these reservoirs. How to achieve these goals are examined

Penetrating Ionizing Radiation Levels Observed in the Lower Arkansas and White River Valleys of Arkansas

Environmental levels of penetrating ionizing radiation were measured in the lower Arkansas and White River valleys of Arkansas. Measurements of environmental gamma and cosmic rays were made using a portable high pressure ionization chamber. The surveyed area encompassed a large coal-fired industrial plant. Observed exposure rates ranged from 5.9 microRoentgens per hour (μR/h) to 13.4 μR/h. The average exposure rate for the region was 8.8 μR/h. This value corresponds to 77 millirem (mrem) or 0.77 milliSieverts (mSv) per year. In comparison, a prior state-wide survey reported an average dose equivalent rate of 78.2 mrem (0.782 mSv) per year in Arkansas

A Lunar Penetrator to Determine Solar-wind-implanted Resources at Depth in the Lunar Regolith

Several volatiles implanted into the lunar regolith by the solar wind are potentially important lunar resources. He-3 might be mined as a fuel for lunar nuclear fusion reactors. Even if the mining of He-3 turns out not to be feasible, several other elements commonly implanted by the solar wind (H,C, and N) could be important for life support and for propellant or fuel production for lunar bases. A simple penetrator-borne instrument package to measure the abundance of H at depth is proposed. Since solar-wind-implanted volatiles tend to correlate with one another, this can be used to estimate global inventories and to design extraction strategies for all of these species

The Tough Realities Small NGOs Face When Evaluating Their Efforts: Observations from Guatemala and Mexico

Evaluation improves the quality of work completed by international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fight poverty and develop communities (Liebenthal et al. 2004). Even so, many NGOs do not conduct evaluations (Ferguson 1990). To the extent that NGOs evaluate their efforts, the evaluation results often do not affect the planning of future projects, making evaluation a static event instead of a learning process (Mebrahtu 2002). Thus, the relevant problem is how to make evaluation more useful. Mulwa (2008) argues that participatory evaluation bridges the disconnect between evaluation results and future development projects. Based on my experience, I emphasize the need for development evaluation to be practical; evaluations informed by all stakeholders create a climate of learning. Evaluations lead to improved development when the evaluation responsibilities and measurements are shared between all parties involved

Cultural Diffusion and Intimate Partner Violence in Malawi

I examine the spread and influence of cultural models about intimate partner violence in Malawi. Intimate partner violence is of primary concern to transnational organizations working in Malawi, leading them to implement a variety of cultural messaging campaigns. I track their efforts and evaluate their influence on lay people. I rely on five national surveys carried out between 2000 and 2016, which I combine with a database of newspaper articles that research assistants and I collected, an administrative database of human rights projects, many organizations’ official reports, and key informant interviews. Finally, I leverage the timing of a social movement to combat intimate partner violence that occurred during the middle of one of the surveys I use. I conduct three related, yet standalone empirical studies. I begin by addressing the flow of cultural models about violence against women through media and the implications this has for people’s attitudes. Analyzing media content, I identify the pathways through which transnational organizations circulate messages condemning violence against women while foreign media entertainment companies largely perpetuate gender stereotypes. The number of newspaper articles critical of violence against women published in the month prior to a respondent’s personal survey interview date is positively associated with their stated rejection of physical partner violence. In contrast, men’s personal use of television and movies—a key source of media content perpetuating gender stereotypes in Malawi—is negatively associated with rejection. This findings demonstrate how being specific about cultural content improves understandings of global cultural diffusion. In the second study, I analyze the influence of human rights projects denouncing violence against women on people’s stated attitudes. Transnational organizations channel funding to projects carried out in specific locales, which in turn exposes people there to the cultural messages promoted. Among projects focused on violence against women, I distinguish between bureaucrat-led projects, which reinforced (mostly male) community leaders’ purview over marital/partnership conflicts, from projects that supported and expanded domestic activists’ awareness campaigns around the country. District-level funding for activist-led projects successfully increased women’s probability of expressing rejection of physical partner violence against women. Aid for bureaucrat-led projects, conversely, decreased men’s rejection of such violence. Transnational organizations’ projects influence lay people’s attitudes, but in unique ways depending on how the projects are implemented. The final study examines how the effects of transnational organizations’ human rights messages on lay people hinges on meso-level actors. Human rights campaigns in Malawi translate “gender violence” as nkhanza, an existing cultural concept referring to the violation of expected relationship responsibilities. Physical partner violence is normatively defined as nkhanza but so is refusing sex with one’s partner. I show that individuals interviewed after the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign in Malawi in 2015, during which brokers denounced nkhanza, were more likely than individuals interviewed before the campaign to state they rejected physical partner violence. Women were also less likely to say they could refuse having sex with their partner. Additionally, women’s willingness to report physical partner abuse that they experienced long ago also increased following the campaign. These results emphasize the importance of vernacularization and human rights awareness. These studies clarify how human rights models are spread, interpreted, learned, and applied. Media, human rights projects, and social movements each serve as important diffusion mechanisms, shaping the cultural models people in Malawi know and use.PHDSociologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162988/1/jswindle_1.pd