Peak Spacing Research Articles

Multi-year patterns in testosterone, cortisol and corticosterone in baleen from adult males of three whale species.

Male baleen whales have long been suspected to have annual cycles in testosterone, but due to difficulty in collecting endocrine samples, little direct evidence exists to confirm this hypothesis. Potential influences of stress or adrenal stress hormones (cortisol, corticosterone) on male reproduction have also been difficult to study. Baleen has recently been shown to accumulate steroid hormones during growth, such that a single baleen plate contains a continuous, multi-year retrospective record of the whale's endocrine history. As a preliminary investigation into potential testosterone cyclicity in male whales and influences of stress, we determined patterns in immunoreactive testosterone, two glucocorticoids (cortisol and corticosterone), and stable-isotope (SI) ratios, across the full length of baleen plates from a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), a North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), all adult males. Baleen was subsampled at 2 cm (bowhead, right) or 1 cm (blue) intervals and hormones were extracted from baleen powder with methanol, followed by quantification of all three hormones using enzyme immunoassays validated for baleen extract of these species. Baleen of all three males contained regularly spaced peaks in testosterone content, with number and spacing of testosterone peaks corresponding well to SI data and to species-specific estimates of annual baleen growth rate. Cortisol and corticosterone exhibited some peaks that co-occurred with testosterone peaks, while other glucocorticoid peaks occurred independent of testosterone peaks. The right whale had unusually high glucocorticoids during a period with a known entanglement in fishing gear and a possible disease episode; in the subsequent year, testosterone was unusually low. Further study of baleen testosterone patterns in male whales could help clarify conservation- and management-related questions such as age of sexual maturity, location and season of breeding, and the potential effect of anthropogenic and natural stressors on male testosterone cycles.

Understanding evolution of vortex rings in viscous fluids

The evolution of vortex rings in isodensity and isoviscosity fluid has been studied analytically using a novel mathematical model. The model predicts the spatiotemporal variation in peak vorticity, circulation, vortex size and spacing based on instantaneous vortex parameters. This proposed model is quantitatively verified using experimental measurements. Experiments are conducted using high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques. Non-buoyant vortex rings are generated from a nozzle using a constant hydrostatic pressure tank. The vortex Reynolds number based on circulation $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708})$ is varied in the range 100–1500 to account for a large range of operating conditions. Experimental results show good agreement with theoretical predictions. However, it is observed that neither Saffman’s thin-core model nor the thick-core equations could correctly explain vortex evolution for all initial conditions. Therefore, a transitional theory is framed using force balance equations which seamlessly integrate short- and long-time asymptotic theories. It is found that the parameter $A=(a/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E})^{2}$, where $a$ is the vortex half-spacing and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$ denotes the standard deviation of the Gaussian vorticity profile, governs the regime of vortex evolution. For higher values of $A$, evolution follows short-time behaviour, while for $A=O(1)$, long-time behaviour is prominent. Using this theory, many reported anomalous observations have been explained.

MoS2 vertically grown on graphene with efficient electrocatalytic activity in Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells

In this report, MoS2 nanosheets grown vertically on reduced graphene oxide (MoS2@RGO) were successfully prepared via a facile hydrothermal process, and then worked as counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The MoS2@RGO materials revealed enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stable chemical property for accelerating the reduction of I−/I3− redox couple. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) showed that the peak current density (JA) and peak spacing (Epp) of MoS2@RGO CE were smaller than Pt, MoS2, and RGO in DSSCs, owing to the superior carrier transfer properties of graphene, abundant catalytic active sites and low resistance of MoS2@RGO. Furthermore, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of MoS2@RGO CE reached 6.82%, which is higher than that of Pt CE (6.44%). Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and tafel polarization were also investigated to demonstrate positive synergetic effect between MoS2 and RGO, as well as efficient electrocatalytic performance in Pt-free DSSCs.

Conductance of a superconducting Coulomb-blockaded Majorana nanowire

In the presence of an applied magnetic field introducing Zeeman spin splitting, a superconducting (SC) proximitized one-dimensional (1D) nanowire with spin-orbit coupling can pass through a topological quantum phase transition developing zero-energy topological Majorana bound states (MBSs) on the wire ends. One of the promising experimental platforms in this context is a Coulomb blockaded island, where by measuring the two-terminal conductance one can in principle investigate the MBS properties. We theoretically study the tunneling transport of a single electron across the superconducting Coulomb blockaded nanowire at finite temperature to obtain the generic conductance equation. By considering all possible scenarios where only MBSs are present at the ends of the nanowire, we compute the nanowire conductance as a function of the magnetic field, the temperature, and the gate voltage. In the simplest 1D topological SC model, the oscillations of the conductance peak spacings (OCPSs) arising from the MBSs overlap from the two wire ends manifest an increasing oscillation amplitude with increasing magnetic field (in agreement with theories without Coulomb blockade and in disagreement with a recent experimental observation). We develop a generalized finite temperature master equation theory including not only multiple subbands in the nanowire, but also the possibility of ordinary Andreev bound states in the non-topological regime. Inclusion of all four effects (temperature, multiple subbands, Andreev bound states, and MBSs) provides a complete picture of the tunneling transport properties. Based on this complete theory, we indeed obtain OCPSs whose amplitudes decrease with increasing magnetic field in qualitative agreement with recent experimental results, but this happens only for rather high temperatures with multisubband occupancy and the presence of both Andreev bound states and MBSs.

Atomically manufactured nickel\u2013silicon quantum dots displaying robust resonant tunneling and negative differential resistance

Providing a spin-free host material in the development of quantum information technology has made silicon a very interesting and desirable material for qubit design. Much of the work and experimental progress has focused on isolated phosphorous atoms. In this article, we report on the exploration of Ni–Si clusters that are atomically manufactured via self-assembly from the bottom-up and behave as isolated quantum dots. These small quantum dot structures are probed at the atomic-scale with scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, revealing robust resonance through discrete quantized energy levels within the Ni–Si clusters. The resonance energy is reproducible and the peak spacing of the quantum dot structures increases as the number of atoms in the cluster decrease. Probing these quantum dot structures on degenerately doped silicon results in the observation of negative differential resistance in both I–V and dI/dV spectra. At higher surface coverage of nickel, a well-known √19 surface modification is observed and is essentially a tightly packed array of the clusters. Spatial conductance maps reveal variations in the local density of states that suggest the clusters are influencing the electronic properties of their neighbors. All of these results are extremely encouraging towards the utilization of metal modified silicon surfaces to advance or complement existing quantum information technology.

Tactile Discrimination of Randomly Textured Surfaces: Effect of Friction and Surface Parameters

The aim of the current study is to identify the physical factors that could potentially be indicative of the tactile discriminability of textured surfaces. To this end, the tactile discrimination sensitivity for fine randomly textured surfaces was evaluated and its relation to the surface parameters and the coefficient of friction was investigated. Discrimination tasks were performed using a two-interval forced choice technique and the mean probability of perceiving a difference was measured for pairwise combinations of six fine-grit abrasive papers. The surface roughness parameters of the abrasive papers were measured using a contact profilometer and scanning electron microscopy images helped observe the surface microstructure. The coefficient of friction for each of the abrasive papers against human finger was measured for two sliding orientation of the finger: an ‘aligned’ orientation along the length of the finger and a ‘transverse’ orientation perpendicular to the length of the finger. Possible cases of theoretical probabilities of perceiving a difference for a given pair of tactile samples were proposed and the experimental probabilities were discussed within this context. Based on the evidence in existing literature, three measurable properties were chosen to investigate possible correlation with the mean discrimination probability: root mean square roughness, mean spacing of the profile peaks, and the mean coefficient of friction. Experimental evidence suggests that of the three parameters investigated, differences in the mean spacing and the mean friction coefficients were more indicative of the probability of perceiving difference between a pair of fine textured samples.

Optimization of Multiple Roughness Characteristics for Turning of AISI 1040 Steel under Different Cutting Conditions

The present work aims to optimize multiple roughness characteristics i.e. centre line average, root mean square and mean line peak spacing roughness parameters for AISI 1040 medium carbon steel for turning operation. The turning parameters considered are feed rate, depth of cut and cutting condition and are varied at three different levels. Since the present investigation considers three process parameters at three different levels, the combinations laid down in Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array is employed to carry out the experiments. Grey relational analysis is used for the optimization. Optimal surface roughness is achieved for a depth of cut of 0.4 mm, feed rate of 0.07 mm/rev and under water cooled cutting condition. Analysis of variance revealed the highest contribution from feed rate in controlling the surface roughness.

Transport Signatures of Quasiparticle Poisoning in a Majorana Island.

We investigate effects of quasiparticle poisoning in a Majorana island with strong tunnel coupling to normal-metal leads. In addition to the main Coulomb blockade diamonds, "shadow" diamonds appear, shifted by 1e in gate voltage, consistent with transport through an excited (poisoned) state of the island. Comparison to a simple model yields an estimate of parity lifetime for the strongly coupled island (∼1 μs) and sets a bound for a weakly coupled island (>10 μs). Fluctuations in the gate-voltage spacing of Coulomb peaks at high field, reflecting Majorana hybridization, are enhanced by the reduced lever arm at strong coupling. When converted from gate voltage to energy units, fluctuations are consistent with previous measurements.

Optimization of Multiple Roughness Characteristics for Turning of AISI 1040 Steel under Different Cutting Conditions

The present work aims to optimize multiple roughness characteristics i.e. centre line average, root mean square and mean line peak spacing roughness parameters for AISI 1040 medium carbon steel for turning operation. The turning parameters considered are feed rate, depth of cut and cutting condition and are varied at three different levels. Since the present investigation considers three process parameters at three different levels, the combinations laid down in Taguchi’s L9orthogonal array is employed to carry out the experiments. Grey relational analysis is used for the optimization. Optimal surface roughness is achieved for a depth of cut of 0.4 mm, feed rate of 0.07 mm/rev and under water cooled cutting condition. Analysis of variance revealed the highest contribution from feed rate in controlling the surface roughness.

Coulomb-blockade peak spacing statistics of graphene quantum dots on SiO2

Extrinsic disorder strongly affects the performance of graphene-based quantum dots. The standard SiO2 substrate is generally considered to be one major factor besides edge-induced disorder. In this report we present the fabrication of lithographically defined quantum dots on SiO2 with short and narrow constrictions and different central island sizes. Low temperature transport measurements display distinct Coulomb-blockade peaks with amplitudes exceeding what is commonly observed experimentally. The analysis of the normalized Coulomb-blockade peak spacing shows a size dependence, which has not previously been observed for devices on SiO2. Furthermore, a quantitative comparison of the peak spacing distribution to the literature shows that one of the two devices compares favorably to a similar sized dot placed on hexagonal boron nitride, which is known to reduce the substrate disorder. Our findings suggest that the other sources of extrinsic disorder, such as lithography residues, may play an important role for the performance of large graphene quantum dots.

Research on Oil-Based Drilling Fluids Emulsion Droplet by Low-Field NMR

In this paper, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to research the stability of water-in-oil emulsion droplet in oil-based drilling fluids. First, the transverse relaxation time T2 of white oil and pure water are obtained by the CMPG pulse sequence, and then, a further qualitative analysis about the T2 distribution curve of water-in-oil emulsion is conducted by introducing the relaxation reagent MnCl2·4H2O; the relaxation peak which located in between 10 and 1000 ms is corresponding to the overlapping peaks of moderate-movable free water and white oil, which is defined as emulsion relaxation peak; the relaxation peak which located at between 1000 and 10,000 ms is corresponding to the high-degree-movable free water. Thus, in this paper, we choose the relaxation peak area ratio and relaxation peak spacing as quantitative indicators to study the influences of relaxation reagent, oil-to-water ratio and aging temperature on the transverse relaxation time T2 distribution curve of emulsion. In addition, low-field NMR was also used to test the relative oil content in oil-based drilling fluids emulsion. The results shows that the low-field NMR is an efficient, fast, and accurate analysis and test technology to reflect the stability of oil-based drilling fluids emulsion droplet, while at the same time, it can also be used to test the relative oil content in oil-based drilling fluids emulsion or crude oil efficiently and accurately.

Description of quasiparticle and satellite properties via cumulant expansions of the retarded one-particle Green's function

A new cumulant-based $GW$ approximation for the retarded one-particle Green's function is proposed, motivated by an exact relation between the improper Dyson self-energy and the cumulant generating function. Qualitative aspects of this method are explored within a simple one-electron independent phonon model, where it is seen that the method preserves the energy moment of the spectral weight while also reproducing the exact Green's function in the weak coupling limit. For the three-dimensional electron gas, this method predicts multiple satellites at the bottom of the band, albeit with inaccurate peak spacing. However, its quasiparticle properties and correlation energies are more accurate than both previous cumulant methods and standard $G_0W_0$. Our results point to new features that may be exploited within the framework of cumulant-based methods and suggest promising directions for future exploration and improvement of cumulant-based $GW$ approaches.

Optimization of Surface Roughness Parameters of Al-6351 Alloy in EDC Process: A Taguchi Coupled Fuzzy Logic Approach

This paper investigates the application of Taguchi method with fuzzy logic for multi objective optimization of roughness parameters in electro discharge coating process of Al-6351 alloy with powder metallurgical compacted SiC/Cu tool. A Taguchi L16 orthogonal array was employed to investigate the roughness parameters by varying tool parameters like composition and compaction load and electro discharge machining parameters like pulse-on time and peak current. Crucial roughness parameters like Centre line average roughness, Average maximum height of the profile and Mean spacing of local peaks of the profile were measured on the coated specimen. The signal to noise ratios were fuzzified to optimize the roughness parameters through a single comprehensive output measure (COM). Best COM obtained with lower values of compaction load, pulse-on time and current and 30:70 (SiC:Cu) composition of tool. Analysis of variance is carried out and a significant COM model is observed with peak current yielding highest contribution followed by pulse-on time, compaction load and composition. The deposited layer is characterised by X-Ray Diffraction analysis which confirmed the presence of tool materials on the work piece surface.

Photo-Gated Intervalence Charge Transfer of Ethynylferrocene Functionalized Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

Ethynylferrocene-functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-eFc) were synthesized, for the first time ever, by a modified two-phase hydrothermal method. Transmission electron microscopic measurements showed that the nanoparticles were rather uniform in size, with an average diameter of 4.0±0.5nm and well-defined lattice fringes that were consistent with those of anatase TiO2. 1H NMR, FTIR and XPS measurements confirmed the attachment of the ferrocenyl ligands onto the nanoparticle surface, most likely forming Ti−CC−Fc interfacial bonds. The resulting nanoparticles exhibited a bandgap of ca. 3.3eV, and two emission bands in photoluminescence measurements at 351 and 460nm, with the former due to the TiO2 cores whereas the latter from intraparticle charge delocalization between the nanoparticle-bound acetylene moieties under UV photoirradiation. In electrochemical measurements, only one pair of voltammetric peaks were observed in the dark, due to the redox reactions of the nanoparticle-bound ferrocenyl groups. However, when subject to photoirradiation with UV lights (254 and 365nm), two pairs of voltammetric peaks appeared, with a respective peak spacing of 174 and 198mV, suggesting intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) between the ferrocenyl moieties bound on the nanoparticle surface. This arose from photo-enhanced electrical conductivity of the TiO2 cores that served as part of the chemical linkage bridging the ferrocenyl moieties. Significantly, such photo-gated IVCT varied with the photoexcitation energy that dictated the intraparticle charge transfer pathways.

Similarities Between the Cathode and Anode Solid Electrolyte Interphase As Determined By MALDI-MS and DESI-MS

The formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the surface of lithium-ion battery cathodes and anodes was studied with the help of two different mass spectroscopic techniques: matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS). MALDI-MS was used to study the formation of polymeric surface films on both model anode and cathode materials, namely thin films of Au and LiMn2O4, respectively. Thin films are useful model electrodes for MALDI-MS experiments to prevent the signal from polymers utilized as binders in commercial battery electrodes from obscuring signal from the SEI. Control experiments consisting of uncycled cells containing PF6 - electrolytes detected the presence of high mass oligomers associated1 with the formation of oligomeric structures, which means that LiPF6 electrolytes are unsuitable for MALDI-MS. Thus, the electrolyte systems chosen for MALDI-TOF experiments consist of propylene carbonate (PC) and ethylene carbonate (EC)/dimethyl carbonate (DMC) 1:1 mixtures with LiClO4 ­salts. The mass spectra obtained from both the Au anodes and the LiMn2O4 cathodes showed remarkable similarity, as seen in panel c. The composition of the electrolyte, however, has a large effect on the SEI composition. An average peak spacing of ~175 m/z was observed for the EC/DMC system (panel b), which corresponds with a polycarbonate structure formed by the co-polymerization of EC and DMC. In the case of the PC based electrolyte, a different polycarbonate with an average peak spacing of 167 m/z was observed in the mass spectra (panel a). Both polymers have been reported in the past and DFT calculations suggest a formation mechanism in which carbonate rings open at low voltages forming a reactive radical that induces polymerization of the other solvent molecules.1Lastly, different electrodes materials were studied at cathode potentials (Au, Pt, LMO and Au coated LMO), but no effect was observed on the final structure of the SEI. In order to further study the organic SEI formed on cathode/electrolyte systems which more closely resemble commercial lithium-ion battery systems, DESI-MS was introduced as a powerful alternative to MALDI-MS, since it does not present the limitations discussed in the previous part of this work. It was found that it is possible to obtain high quality, high resolution polymeric mass spectra directly from the surface of slurry electrodes cycled in EC\\DMC\\LiPF6. The presence of poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether (PEG) as a product of the copolymerization of EC and DMC was observed using this method. The presence of PEG in the SEI was confirmed for both anodic and cathodic half-cells, similarly to the results obtained by MALDI-MS. The interesting similarity in the composition of the SEI at completely different environments and potential ranges (cathode and anode) suggests that the oligomerization of the organic electrolyte is not sensitive to the electric potential applied to the electrode surface. We also carried out investigations of polymerization mechanisms of the solvent molecules using density functional methods. All calculation of energies, forces and force constants were performed using the B3LYP hybrid-density functional method with the cc-pVDZ basis set as implemented in the Gaussian 09 code. Equilibrium and transition state structures were determined for formation of dimers and trimers resulting from reaction of the oxidized EC molecule and solvent molecules. The reaction energies are consistent with the observation of polymeric species. 1. Tavassol H., Butchker J.W., Ferguson G.A., Curtiss L.A., Gewirth A.A., Solvent oligomerization during SEI formation in Li-ion battery anodes, J. Electrochem. Soc. 159(6) (2012) A730-A738. Figure 1

Thermochemical effects on the smectite alteration of GMZ bentonite for deep geological repository

Gaomiaozi (GMZ) bentonite has been recognized as the first choice for using as buffer/backfill material in deep geological repository for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste in China. High salinity and high pH of the pore solutions may cause changes in the mineralogical composition, and the swelling capacity of the bentonite results in affecting the long-term performance of the engineering barrier system. In the present work, a series of hydrothermal reactivity experiments were performed using batch reactors at 20, 35 and 80 °C for evaluating the chemical and mineralogical responses of GMZ bentonites. The results show that the dissolution of smectite releases Si and Al under the conditions of 1 M KOH at 35 and 80 °C and the released Si and Al may work as a cementing agent in GMZ bentonite. XRD pattern results show that alteration of the GMZ bentonite is expected to be insignificant for reaction with NaCl, KCl and NaOH solutions under low temperatures. However, it is obviously reacted with KOH solutions especially at 80 °C, during which cementitious material was produced leading to kaolinitization. When contacted with KOH solutions, the basal spacing (d001) of the main primary diffraction peaks (001) value of GMZ bentonite increases with increasing temperature. Salinity also can influence the smectite stability and accordingly loss of swelling capacity. This conclusion could be explained by the diffusing double-layer effects induced by salt solutions and ion exchange.

Emission behaviour of a series of bimetallic Cd(ii)-Au(i) coordination polymers.

A series of bimetallic coordination polymers with the elemental composition of [Cd(II)L2][Au(CN)2]2, (L = 3-methylpyridine, 4-ethylpyridine, 3,5-lutidine and 3-fluoropyridine) were synthesized and their crystal structures were determined. In all of the investigated compounds, there existed a pair of Au-Au atoms whose interatomic distance was shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii (0.36 nm) as an indication of the aurophilic interaction. The compounds were emissive under the irradiation at 370 nm. The emission spectra recorded in the temperature range of 183-363 K were characterized by the vibronic structures with a peak spacing (Δν) of ca. 2000 cm(-1). The value of Δν was close to the stretching vibration of the coordinated C[triple bond, length as m-dash]N (2150-2170 cm(-1)). It was postulated that C[triple bond, length as m-dash]N groups participated in the emission processes through their vibronic coupling. In the case of L = 4-ethylpyridine, the lifetime of emission was measured in the same temperature range, leading to the conclusion that the activation energy of the non-radiative processes (ΔEa) was estimated to be 20 kJ mol(-1).

The Application of Access Management in Commercial Area

With the rapid development of automobile ownership and roadway network in China, there is more and more travel demand in the city of Beijing, China. Large commercial areas attract high volumes of traffic, which greatly impacts traffic movement on roadways, producing congestion and safety problems. What is more serious is that existing design of the parking lot, the location of access, layout of driveway, and passage of circulation are not desirable, causing potential conflicts and traffic delays. This paper mainly investigates the impact of the existing design of parking lot and layout of access and driveways at commercial areas around intersection in Beijing. The overall goal of this study is to use access management technologies to find out the measures for commercial area to improve roadway safety and operational efficiency. Some measures of improvements are proposed based on the analysis, including addition of right turn lanes, increase of driveway throat length and incorporation of traffic signs to guide on-site circulation. To accomplish the study objective, a total of 10 commercial areas around intersection were selected and some necessary data were collected at access points including traffic volume of each access and the frontage roadways during peak hours, access type, location, and spacing. The field investigations were conducted for 2 weekends for each area. Meanwhile, the peak hours were 10:00 to 12:00 a.m. on weekends. The data from field investigations show that the number and location of the access is different from place to place. Access driveway is closely located at the signalized intersection mostly. Other problems are also observed based on field investigation such as shortage of the access spacing. The result of this study can be a reference for traffic management on other similar areas in Beijing.

Probing the local environment of substitutional Al $$^{3+}$$ 3 + in goethite using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and first-principles calculations

We present experimental and calculated Al K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of aluminous goethite with 10–33 mol% of AlOOH and diaspore. Significant changes are observed experimentally in the near- and pre-edge regions with increasing Al concentration in goethite. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) reproduce successfully the experimental trends. This permits to identify the electronic and structural parameters controlling the spectral features and to improve our knowledge of the local environment of $$\hbox {Al}^{3+}$$ in the goethite–diaspore partial solid solution. In the near-edge region, the larger peak spacing in diaspore compared to Al-bearing goethite is related to the nature (Fe or Al) of the first cation neighbours around the absorbing Al atom (Al*). The intensity ratio of the two near-edge peaks, which decreases with Al concentration, is correlated with the average distance of the first cations around Al* and the distortion of the $$\hbox {AlO}_6$$ octahedron. Finally, the decrease in intensity of the pre-edge features with increasing Al concentration is due to the smaller number of Fe atoms in the local environment of Al since Al atoms tend to cluster. In addition, it is found that the pre-edge features of the Al K-edge XANES spectra enable to probe indirectly empty 3d states of Fe. Energetic, structural and spectroscopic results suggest that for Al concentrations around 10 mol%, Al atoms can be considered as isolated, whereas above 25 mol%, Al clusters are more likely to occur.

Infrared spectroscopic investigation of nuclear spin conversion in solid CH4.

Infrared spectra of solid CH4 were studied in the ν3 and ν4 vibrational regions. The phase I crystal around 30 K showed broad absorption bands, whereas the phase II crystal at 6.9-10.3 K exhibited splitting of these bands after annealing above 20 K. The split peaks were assigned to the librating and almost freely rotating molecules in phase II on the basis of the peak spacings and time evolution of the peak intensities. From the quantitative analysis of the temporal changes of the R(0) and R(1) peak intensities, the relaxation rates of the numbers of molecules with J = 0 (I = 2) and J = 1 (I = 1) were determined in the temperature range of 6.9-10.3 K. We fitted the function resulting from a combination of direct and indirect relaxation processes mediated by phonons to the temperature dependence of these rates and obtained the activation energies of the indirect process: C ≃ 36 K. Since this value is higher than the energies of perturbed J = 2 states relative to the J = 1 state, we argue that the nuclear spin conversion through the J = 3 state also takes place.