Volume 107, Number 5, September–October 2002Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

General DevelopmentsInquiries about News Briefs, where no contact personis identified, should be referred to the Managing Editor,Journal of Research, National Institute of Standardsand Technology, Building 101, Room E215, Gaithers-burg, MD 20899-2500; telephone: (301) 975-3577.

STANDARD FIRE SERVICE INTERFACE ANDINCIDENT MANAGEMENT INFORMATIONSYSTEM DEMONSTRATEDOn April 3, NIST demonstrated the use of a newtechnology for fire alarm panels in an actual fireincident with the help of the NIST Fire Department.A multi-room test structure was constructed inside theLarge Fire Laboratory for a series of full-scale fireexperiments. The prototype alarm panel displayedmulti-layer web pages viewable by ordinary webbrowsers which displayed sensor measurements, on-sitevideo, and processed information such as the heatrelease rate. Text portions of the web pages were acces-sible by handheld, wireless devices.

Following ignition, fire detectors provided real timedata that was verified against physical criteria to assurethat the alarm was from an actual fire. The sameinformation was transmitted to a laptop computer fittedwith a wireless modem card to enable respondingpersonnel to view and query the system for real timeinformation so they could begin to formulate tactics inroute. As the suppression team entered the structure,their position in the structure was monitored anddisplayed continuously.CONTACT: Walter Jones, (301) 975-6887; wwj@nist.gov or Richard Bukowski, (301) 975-6853; richard.bukowski@nist.gov.

EFFECT OF POSTAL IRRADIATION ONDNA FORENSICSNIST has demonstrated that the high doses of radiationused on postal mail to kill anthrax (and other pathogens)does not interfere with standard DNA profiling tests

News Briefs

that might be used to gather forensic evidence fromletter pieces.

NIST high-dose ionizing radiation sources wereused to treat envelopes under conditions approximatingindustrial processing. These envelopes were analyzed atNIST using standardized human DNA tests. Full DNAprofiles were obtained from irradiated test envelopesusing the FBIs primary DNA test. No proceduralmodifications were necessary; the standard DNAextraction procedures worked fine for obtaining DNAfrom envelopes, whether or not they have beenirradiated.

This study removes the potential doubt about thecontinued validity of DNA testing, necessary informa-tion for federal and state law enforcement agencies andprosecutors.CONTACT: Marc Desrosiers, (301) 975-5639; marc.desrosiers@nist.gov or John Butler, (301) 975-4049;john.butler@nist.gov.

NIST AIRFLOW MODEL FEATURED ININDUSTRY SMOKE CONTROL GUIDANCECONTAM, the airflow and contaminant transportmodel developed by NIST for airborne movement inbuildings, has now been noted as the tool of choice fordesigning and analyzing smoke management systems.The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating andAir-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) smoke controldesign manual, originally published in 1983, has justbeen reissued. This third edition contains an extensivedescription of the CONTAM model and its applicationto the design and analysis of pressurization smoke con-trol systems. In this application, one can simulate theperformance of elevator shaft, stairwell, and stairwellvestibule pressurization systems, as well as systems thatexhaust from the fire zone. Having CONTAM featuredin this document will facilitate greatly the design ofsmoke control systems that perform as intended andwill allow the analysis of systems of greater complexitythan can be analyzed with any other available tool.CONTACT: Andrew Persily, (301) 975-6418;andrew.persily@nist.gov

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NIST RESEARCHERS CHARACTERIZEHIGH-SPEED PHOTORECEIVER TO 110 GHzNIST researchers have demonstrated that they canaccurately characterize the modulation response(magnitude and phase) of a commercially availablephotoreceiver to frequencies as high as 110 GHz, nearlythree times the bit rate of emerging 40 Gb/s opticalcommunication systems. Measurement of the modula-tion response of a receiver over a frequency range muchlarger than its bandwidth is necessary for accuratelymodeling its response in the time-domain, providingcritical information for digital communicationssystems.

NIST researchers have developed an electro-opticsampling system to sample high-speed electricalwaveforms on a coplanar waveguide with ultrashortlaser pulses via the electro-optic effect. Standardmicrowave techniques are used to calibrate the responseof a photoreceiver at its 1 mm electrical port, which isphysically removed from the sampling plane. Thefrequency range of the calibration is limited only bythe 1 mm coaxial connectors. The characterized photo-receiver had a bandwidth of about 80 GHz; the signalto noise ratio of the measurement was greater than150:1 at 110 GHz. A summary of the work has beensubmitted to the annual meeting of the IEEE Lasers andElectro-Optics Society.CONTACTS: Paul Hale, (303) 497-5367; hale@boulder.nist.gov or Dylan Williams, (303) 497-3138;dylan@boulder.nist.gov.

NIST UNCOVERS CLUE TO SUCCESSFULMANIPULATION OF PAIRED ELECTRONSNanoscale devices that manipulate single electrons ofcharge e with metrological accuracy are being used atNIST to develop new fundamental electrical standards,such as a capacitance standard based on countingelectrons. The superconducting analogs of thesedevices, in which electrons are bound in “Cooper pairs”of charge 2 e , are attractive for two reasons. First, thecoherent transfer of Cooper pairs is expected to bemuch faster than the incoherent transfer of unpairedelectrons, providing much larger currents with metro-logical accuracy. Second, several schemes for quantumcomputation, in which information is processed usingthe unique properties of quantum bits or “qubits,” relyon the precise manipulation of Cooper pairs. Pastattempts at manipulation of single Cooper pairs for bothmetrology and quantum computation have been ham-pered by the existence of a small number ofresidual unpaired electrons in the superconducting state.Furthermore, the conditions needed to avoid theseunpaired electrons in a given device were not clearly

understood because different research groups havereported conflicting results on this question.

Researchers at NIST uncovered an important clue tothis mystery by showing that a previously unappreciatedfactor has a strong effect on the amount of unpairedelectrons in Cooper pair devices. Each device consistsof two layers of aluminum, and the strength of thepairing of electrons in each layer can be different. Thisslight difference has generally been thought to beunimportant. However, a study of more than a dozendevices in which this difference was varied in acontrolled way, and independently measured in eachdevice, shows that it directly affects device perfor-mance. In every device made the right way, unpairedelectrons were very rare, allowing manipulation ofsingle Cooper pairs over long time scales and over awide range of temperature. In all devices made thewrong way, unpaired electrons dominated the deviceoperation and the desired manipulation of singleCooper pairs was not possible. These results, which mayalso explain previous reports that seemed to becontradictory, point the way to a robust recipe fordevices that can realize the promise of superconductingcharge transfer for both metrology and quantumcomputation.CONTACT: Jose Aumentado, (303) 497-4137;aumentado@boulder.nist.gov.

PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS OFCARBON NANOTUBES EXPLOREDResearchers at NIST are using carbon nanotubes for avariety of new experiments. Carbon nanotubes recentlywere discovered in the byproducts of carbon fullerene(Bucky balls) production. Nanotubes can range from afew to hundreds of nanometers in diameter and a few totens of micrometers in length. The tubes are showingpromise in a number of new areas. These includemolecular electronics where the nanotubes are used asboth wiring and, with modification of the nanotubeitself, electronic devices. The NIST researchers areexploring the connection of nanotubes to surfaces totest the strength and electrical properties of variousattachment methods. Electron beam carbon deposition(EBD) was used to attach a carbon nanotube to atungsten force probe and to an atomic force microscope(AFM) tip. By pulling the force probe away from theAFM tip, the EBD bond survived a few micronewtons,which is a large force on a nanotube scale. Work inprogress exploits the electrical properties of nanotubesfor sub-micron electrical conduction mapping usingnanotubes mounted on AFM tips. The nanotubes areused as very small thin wires that can be scanned acrossa sample and are much more durable than commonly

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used metal coated AFM tips. The nanotube AFM tipsalso are being used to explore biological samples; sincethey are long and thin, they can access areas normalAFM tips cannot.CONTACT: Paul Rice, (303) 497-7601; paulrice@boulder.nist.gov.

MOLECULAR SPECTRA DATABASES NOWAVAILABLE ONLINENIST has made available on the Web three linked data-bases of the microwave and RF spectra of diatomic,triatomic, and hydrocarbon molecules. Originallypublished as spectral tables in the Journal of Physicaland Chemical Reference Data, the online versionincludes additional molecules and allows advancedbrowsing and searching of the data by molecularspecies, type, or frequency.

Rotational spectral lines for 121 diatomic molecules,55 triatomic molecules, and 91 hydrocarbon moleculesare included. The isotopic molecular species, assignedquantum numbers, observed frequency, estimatedmeasurement uncertainty, and reference are given foreach transition. The spectral lines for many moleculesand normal isotopic species have been refit to producea comprehensive and consistent analysis of all the dataobtained from many sources. The derived molecularproperties, such as rotational and centrifugal distortionconstants, hyperfine structure constants, electric dipolemoments, rotational g -factors and internucleardistances (for diatomic molecules) are listed with onestandard deviation uncertainties for all species.

The Diatomic, Triatomic, and Hydrocarbon SpectraDatabases can be accessed on the Web at http://physics.nist.gov/MWtables. Further information onadditional molecular spectroscopic databases developedby ECSED is available at http://physics.nist.gov/data.Development of these databases was supported in partby the Standard Reference Data Program (SRDP)and by NISTs Systems Integration for ManufacturingApplications (SIMA) Program.CONTACTS: Frank Lovas, (301) 975-2385; francis.lovas@nist.gov or Karen Olsen, (301) 975-3286;karen.olsen@nist.gov.

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUEROBOTS COMPETE IN NIST-DESIGNEDREFERENCE TEST ARENASThe RoboCupRescue League hosted its first annualcompetition in Fukuoka, Japan, June 20-23, 2002, usingJapanese versions of NIST’s “Reference Test Arenas

for Autonomous Mobile Robots” that they built andinstalled at Fukuoka Dome Stadium. This robotic urbansearch and rescue competition augments RoboCup’sleagues of autonomous soccer playing robot teams(small size, mid-size, four-legged, humanoid, andsimulation leagues), which have evolved considerablyover the past 6 years of competition. The goal of theRoboCupRescue competition, and others using theNIST arena design, is to provide a proving groundfor fieldable robots such as those used at the WorldTrade Center collapse. A NIST researcher is a co-chair-man of the RoboCup Rescue League OrganizingCommittee.

The overall RoboCup-2002 event (http://www.robocup2002.org/) attracted 188 robot teams (over 1000researchers) from 29 countries, cheered on by 117 000spectators over 5 days of competition. Ten teams (over40 researchers) participated in the RoboCupRescuecompetition from countries such as Japan, Iran,Germany, New Zealand, and the United States. Severaldifferent robot implementations competed, includingtracked vehicles, wheeled vehicles, and a small blimp.The performance metric used for scoring encouragesmultiple robot teams, minimal operators and generationof practical maps showing the location of simulatedvictims throughout the arenas. Two teams from Iran andJapan scored above the minimum threshold required toearn an award, with the Iranian team taking the tophonors.

The Japanese versions of NISTs arenas will resideyear-round at the National Museum of EmergingScience and Technology in Tokyo. They follow the NISTdesign, with changes to materials and furnishings to berepresentative of those typically found in Japanesebuildings. Next year’s RoboCupRescue competition willbe held in Padova, Italy, and discussions are under wayto fabricate Italian versions of the arenas for year-rounduse. Additional arenas are being discussed for Japan,Germany, Portugal, and the United States. Proliferationof these arenas around the world supports research inthis critical domain by providing venues for practice,objective evaluation, direct comparison of performance,and international collaboration among robot re-searchers. It also helps raise awareness of the challengesinvolved in robotic search and rescue applications andencourages new researchers to enter the field. Fundingsupport for development of the arenas has been providedby the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA).CONTACTS: Elena Messina, (301) 975-3510; elena.messina@nist.gov or Adam Jacoff, (301) 975-4235;adam.jacoff@nist.gov.

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NIST WORKS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES TOPROTECT INFORMATION ASSETSOn July 11, 2002, NIST in co-sponsorship with theU.S. Small Business Administration and the NationalInfrastructure Protection Center, delivered the first ofthree workshops planned for this quarter focused onsmall business information security. The purpose of theseries of workshops and the partnership is to promoteinformation security awareness within the smallbusiness community. The workshop is designed to teachthe fundamentals of information security, to help smallbusinesses understand common threats, and to give thempractical tools and techniques that a small businessowner can use. Covering topics such as securitypolicies, risk mitigation, and cost benefits analysis, theworkshop delivers training on the knowledge and toolsnecessary for a small business owner to mitigatesecurity risks in cost-effective ways that support thebusiness mission.

Small businesses are a vital part of the U.S. economy.As such, protecting their information and guarding theirentry points to the Internet are critical. Cyber-securityguidance documents created by NIST are currently usedin public and private sectors around the world. Throughthis partnership, NIST is making a concerted effort toget that guidance into the hands of U.S. small businessowners.CONTACT: Dr. Alicia Clay, (301) 975-3641;alicia.clay@nist.gov.

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HONORS NISTPARTICIPANTS IN THE PENTAGONREBUILDING EFFORTFollowing the terrorist incidents of Sept. 11, 2001, theArmy Corps of Engineers organized a group to advisethe Pentagon renovation construction effort to ensurethat best practices were followed during rehabilitationof the Pentagon in order to mitigate such attacks in thefuture. The team included a wide range of expertise insafety, security, and construction, including includingNIST staff members. They have been recognized by theCorps in a special citation that reads, in part:

“The cross disciplinary team, including John Gross,Walter Jones and Long Phan of NIST is officiallycommended for valuable contributions as members ofthe Pentagon Rebuild Retrofit Program Study in theaftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attack. Thisstudy was conducted in support of the Headquarters,U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, and team members camefrom several Army laboratories as well as other federalagencies and civilian institutions. This extremely highvisibility study resulted in a number of options to

improve the efficiency or performance of protectivemeasures for the Pentagon.”CONTACT: Walter Jones, (301) 975-6887; wwj@nist.gov.

BUYERS GUIDE FEATURES NISTDATA PRODUCTThe lead article in the annual Buyer’s Guide of theAmerican Institute of Physics features five pages ofvalues of the fundamental physical constants, such as thespeed of light, the Newtonian constant of gravitation,the Planck constant, the fine-structure constant, andenergy-unit conversion factors. The guide wasdistributed as a supplement to the August issue ofPhysics Today, a monthly publication with a circulationof about 123 000 worldwide. The numbers published inthe tables were obtained from the 1998 CODATAleast-squares adjustment of their values carried out inthe Fundamental Constants Data Center at NIST in1999. Other publications, such as the CRC Handbook ofChemistry and Physics, also quote the values obtained atNIST.

Values of the constants can be found on the Web siteat http://physics.nist.gov/constants. This site averageswell over 100 000 downloads per month from outside ofNIST. The Fundamental Constants Data Center alsodistributes wallet card and page-sized tables of values ofthe constants. These may be obtained from NIST at(301) 975-NIST (6478).CONTACT: Peter Mohr, (301) 975-3217; peter.mohr@nist.gov.

FAULT DETECTION AND DIAGNOSTICTOOLSNIST has developed two fault detection and diagnostictools to assist operators in monitoring the performanceof Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioningsystems: Air Handling Unit Performance AssessmentRules (APAR) and Variable Air Volume (VAV) BoxPerformance Assessment Control Charts (VPACC).

APAR uses a set of expert rules to detect commonmechanical faults or control problems in air-handlingunits. VPACC uses statistical quality control measuresto detect faults or control problems in VAV boxes.

Both tools were tested using the NIST Virtual Cyber-netic Building Testbed, now equipped with faultmodels, and found to be successful at detecting anddiagnosing a wide variety of faults. Both tools appear tobe suitable for embedding in commercial controlproducts.CONTACT: Natascha Castro, (301) 975-6420;natascha.castro@nist.gov.

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INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON OFGUARDED HOT PLATE LABORATORIESNIST has published Technical Note 1444, InternationalComparison of Guarded Hot Plate Apparatus UsingNational and Regional Reference Materials, culminatinga 5 year effort to compare measurement results fromfive national metrology laboratories on four national andregional thermal insulation reference materials. Thetechnical note presents thermal conductivity datafrom JTCCM, LNE, NPL, NRC Canada, and NIST forthermal insulation standard reference materials 1451and 1453, IRMM 440, and a candidate referencematerial from Japan. The major finding of the compari-son is that there are laboratory-to-laboratory differencesfor three of the four materials, and that these differenceschange from material to material. The report providesseveral recommendations for improving ASTM and ISOstandard test methods for guarded hot plate apparatus.CONTACT: Robert Zarr, (301) 975-6436; robert.zarr@nist.gov.

NIST PUBLISHES ONLINE e-HANDBOOK OFSTATISTICAL METHODSNIST teamed up with International SEMATECH and aconsortium of worldwide major semiconductor com-panies to produce the NIST/Sematech e-Handbookof Statistical Methods. The e-handbook expandsand updates Handbook 91, Experimental Statistics,originally published by NIST in 1963. Engineers andscientists worldwide have relied on the printed versionfor nearly four decades. The e-handbook will also beavailable on CD later this year and is now available athttp://www.nist.gov/stat. handbook.

The e-handbook provides a comprehensive overviewof statistical methods, including experiment design, dataanalysis, and quality control, and is tailored to the needsof engineers and scientists for rapid understanding andquick solution of statistical problems. The approach isproblem-oriented and includes detailed case studiesfrom the semiconductor industry and NIST laboratoriesto illustrate statistical approaches to solving engineeringand scientific problems.

A demonstration of the e-handbook was featuredas part of the Quality and Productivity ResearchConference, hosted by International SEMATECH inAustin, Texas. Thousands of scientists and engineersfrom industry, academia, and government have used abeta-test version of the Web site and have contributedvaluable suggestions that have been implemented.Already, users in more than 24 foreign countries,multiple federal agencies, universities, and industrieshave praised the e-handbook for coverage of statistical

topics, relevance of the case studies, and for the ease ofapplication of statistical methodology.CONTACTS: Jim Filliben, (301) 975-2855; james.filliben@nist.gov or Will Guthrie, (301) 975-2854;william.guthrie@nist.gov or Alan Heckert, (301) 975-2899; alan.heckert@nist.gov.

NIST RESEARCHERS COMPLETEUNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS FORLINKING ECCS TO SI FaradNIST researchers have completed an uncertaintyanalysis for the comparison of a cryogenic vacuum-gapcapacitor against the NIST calculable capacitor. Thiswork is a critical step in the development of theElectron-Counting Capacitance Standard (ECCS).

The essential idea of the ECCS is to place anaccurately known electric charge, by counting individu-ally each of about 108 electrons, onto the plate of acryogenic vacuum-gap capacitor and then to measurethe charging voltage with high accuracy. The capaci-tance of the device is determined directly from thecharge-to-voltage ratio. Three valuable uses have beenidentified for the ECCS. It will serve as a “turnkey”primary representation for capacitance, provide anadditional route for the measurement of the fine-structure constant and provide a means to close the“quantum metrology triangle” formed by the Josephsonvoltage, the quantum Hall resistance, and thefundamental electron charge.

A recently reported advance for the capacitor was toincrease its capacitance to a value of approximately10 pF (within a few percent), thus allowing a directcomparison of the vacuum-gap capacitor to the NISTcalculable capacitor using existing high-precisioninstrumentation. The calculable capacitor is a largemechanical capacitor which, through a fundamentaltheorem of electrostatics, provides the SI realization ofthe Farad. The comparison of the two capacitors iscrucial for the ECCS, both for demonstrating its use-fulness as a representation of capacitance, and fordetermination of the fine-structure constant or closureof the quantum metrology triangle.

The advance noted here is the completion of thedetailed uncertainty analysis of this comparison,including statistical and systematic uncertainties. Thisanalysis shows that the total relative uncertainty of thecomparison is about 4�10–8. This compares favorablywith the total relative uncertainty of 4�10–8,which isachieved for the highly optimized comparisons againstthe calculable capacitor that are performed as part of theregular maintenance of NIST’s primary bank of capaci-tance standards. Indeed, this measurement of the

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cryogenic capacitor was designed to utilize, as closely asfeasible, the same instrumentation and measurementprocedures as those routinely used for measurements ofthe room-temperature transfer standard. The closesimilarity both simplified this uncertainty analysis andcontributed to the ultimate quality of the result. Futureimprovements in the measurement system could reducethe uncertainty to a value even closer to that for thehighly optimized measurements.

With the completion of the uncertainty analysis, thenew 10 pF cryogenic capacitor is now fully ready to beused in the ECCS, with a route to tie the ECCS to theSI unit of capacitance with an uncertainty of about4�10–8.

A paper describing this work has been submittedfor publication in the IEEE Transactions on Instrumen-tation and Measurement.CONTACT: Michael Kelley, (301) 975-3722; michael.kelley@nist.gov.

2002 UPDATE OF MASS SPECTRAL LIBRARYRELEASEDA major update to the NIST Mass Spectral Library wasreleased in July. Four years of painstaking work has ledto significant enhancements in the coverage and qualityof this widely used reference collection. Originatingfrom a number of laboratories, including measurementsat NIST for compounds of special importance, over45 000 high quality reference mass spectra have beenadded, increasing the number of spectra from 129 138to 174 948. This has led to an increase in numbers ofcompounds represented from 108 886 to 147 370, anexpansion of more than one-third. Spectra for thousandsof compounds have been replaced by higher qualityversions, and over 6500 high quality replicate spectrawere added. These replacements, along with the policyof adding only complete spectra, have led to an increasein the average number of peaks per spectrum from 96 to111, and a decline in percentage of spectra having fewerthan 10 peaks from 4 % to 0.5 %.

The NIST team of evaluators also has made signifi-cant improvements in the representation of the chemicalsubstances in the library. A manual, compound-by-compound examination of chemical names andstructures was completed, leading to consistentchemical representation throughout the database.Compounds not fully identified by their chemicalstructure were removed from the collection, ambiguousrepresentations were eliminated, and thousands ofchemical names originating from the laboratory thatprovided the spectrum were replaced by clearer, moresystematic names. In addition, in cooperation with theChemical Abstracts Service (CAS), all CAS registry

numbers were verified by matching against chemicalstructures, thereby eliminating many inconsistenciesand leading to the addition of 35 000 registry numbers.Using a structure-to-name program, tens of thousands ofIUPAC-consistent chemical names have been added assynonyms.

Within the next 6 months, we expect that virtually allof the approximately twenty active distributors willprovide this update to new and current librarycustomers. Considering the fact that approximately3 000 new versions of the library are installed on massspectrometer data systems each year, and at least 30 000copies of earlier versions have been installed over theyears, we anticipate that this effort will have an evenmore substantial impact.CONTACT: Stephen Stein, (301) 975-2505; stephen.stein@nist.gov.

PRODUCTION COMPLETE FOR NEWPROTEIN DATA BANK CD-ROM SETSNIST has completed production of a new ProteinData Bank (PDB) CD-ROM set of the macromolecularstructures of proteins and nucleic acids and thecorresponding experimental data. This set, Issue 101,contains 18 528 structures in gzip format and requires 9CD-ROMs per set.

The customer base is 463 domestic and 926 foreignsubscribers, with about 120 additional requests for eachrelease. The number of structures increases by about 70per week, so each quarterly release contains about 800more structures than the previous. The number ofsubscribers also increases with each quarterly release ofthe PDB CD-ROM set.

The masters for this CD-ROM release were producedusing a new web-based tool that adds flexibility toallow production of incremental sets of PDB holdings orseparate CD-ROM products for structures and x-ray orNMR experimental data.CONTACT: Phoebe Fagan, (301) 975-2213; phoebe.fagan@nist.gov.

POLARON GLASS IN COLOSSALMAGNETORESISTIVE OXIDES RESEARCHEDThe magnetic properties of the lanthanum manganeseoxide class of materials have attracted tremendousinterest recently because of the dramatic increase inconductivity these systems exhibit when the magneticmoments order ferromagnetically, either by loweringthe temperature or applying a magnetic field. This hugeincrease in the carrier mobility, which has been giventhe name “colossal magnetoresistivity” (CMR), is bothof scientific and technological interest. In particular, it

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is anticipated that the half-metallic behavior thesematerials exhibit will provide fully spin-polarizedelectrons for use in spintronics applications, for sensorsin a variety of applications such as in the automotiveindustry, and may also provide the next generation ofread/write heads for the magnetic data storage industry.

The colossal magnetoresistivity originates from amagnetically driven insulator-metal transition, wherethe magnetic, electronic, and structural degrees offreedom are intimately intertwined. A research collabo-ration involving scientists from NIST, the University ofMaryland, and Argonne National Laboratory, hasrecently used neutron scattering measurements todiscover that the transition from the low temperatureferromagnetic-metallic state to the paramagnetic-insulator state is caused by the formation of combinedstructural/magnetic polarons, which have a size of aboutone nanometer. The formation of these nanoscalepolarons truncates the ferromagnetic phase, and thusexplains the first-order nature of the transition. Thesepolarons form a well-defined thermodynamic glassphase above the ferromagnetic ordering temperature,which then melts into a polaron fluid at highertemperatures.

There is a strong similarity between these nanoscalepolarons observed in the CMR materials, the polarnanoregions that cause the dramatic piezoelectricresponse of relaxor ferroelectrics, and the formation ofstripes in the high temperature superconductingcuprates. Recent progress in our understanding of theseintrinsic nanoscale structures has enabled a deeperunderstanding of the fundamental properties and sharedconcepts of these perovskite-based materials.CONTACT: Jeffrey Lynn, (301) 975-6246; jeffrey.lynn@nist.gov.

NIST PUBLISHES GUIDANCE ON SECURINGINTERCONNECTING IT SYSTEMSNIST Special Publication 800-47, Security Guide forInterconnecting Information Technology Systems hasrecently been issued. The document provides guidancefor planning, establishing, maintaining, and terminatinginterconnections between information technology (IT)systems that are owned and operated by different organi-zations. The guidance is consistent with the require-ments specified in the Office of Management andBudget (OMB) Circular A-130, Appendix III, forsystem interconnection and information sharing.

A system interconnection is defined as the directconnection of two or more IT systems for the purpose ofsharing data and other information resources. Thedocument describes the benefits of interconnecting ITsystems, defines the basic components of an inter-

connection, identifies methods and levels of inter-connectivity, and discusses potential security risks. Thedocument then presents a life-cycle approach for systeminterconnections, with an emphasis on security. Thefollowing four phases are addressed:

• Planning the interconnection: the organizationsperform preliminary activities; examine technical,security, and administrative issues; and form an agree-ment governing the management, operation, and use ofthe interconnection.

• Establishing the interconnection: the organizationsdevelop and execute a plan for establishing theinterconnection, including implementing or configuringsecurity controls.

• Maintaining the interconnection: the organizationsmaintain the interconnection after it is established toensure that it operates properly and securely.

• Disconnecting the interconnection: one or bothorganizations may terminate the interconnection. Thetermination should be conducted in a planned mannerto avoid disrupting the other party’s system. In anemergency, however, one or both organizations maychoose to terminate the interconnection immediately.

The new publication is available online at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/index.html.CONTACT: Joan S. Hash, (301) 975-3357; joan.hash@nist.gov.

NEW X-RAY WAVELENGTH REFERENCETABLE TO BE PUBLISHEDIn January 1967, an x-ray wavelength table waspublished in Reviews of Modern Physics by the lateJ. A. Bearden (The Johns Hopkins University). For thepast 35 years, it has been a standard reference in thefield, reprinted in a number of standard reference books.However, scientists engaged in precision x-ray wave-length measurements have recognized for the past10 years that important experimental and theoreticaldevelopments have created the need for a modernrevision.

NIST, in collaboration with theorists at the EcoleNormale Superieure et Universite Pierre et Marie Curie(Paris) and Stockholm University, has developed a new,comprehensive x-ray wavelength reference table thathas been accepted for publication in Reviews of ModernPhysics (likely issue, January 2003). This is theculmination of a long-term NIST effort led by the lateRichard Deslattes. The compilations contains K- and L-x-ray transition and absorption edge energies for all ofthe elements from neon to fermium and includescarefully selected and evaluated experimental data and

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trusted estimates obtained from state-of-the-arttheoretical procedures.

The new table makes use of the accurate linkage ofx-ray wavelengths, optical wavelengths, and the SIdefinition of the meter made possible by combinedx-ray and optical interferometry. It includes accuratemeasurements of specific x-ray reference lines, system-atic studies of x-ray transitions and absorption edges,and other accurate x-ray wavelength measurements thathave occurred since 1967. The table also reflects thecontinued development of physical theory that producesresults in excellent agreement with high-quality experi-mental data. Theoretically predicted values of missingor poorly measured experimental data help to completethe reference. The new table also makes use of the mostrecent values of the fundamental physical constants.

In addition to print publication, the new x-raywavelength table will soon be available on the NISTPhysical Reference Data Web site at http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/contents.html.CONTACT: Ernest Kessler, (301) 975-4844; ernest.kessler@nist.gov.

Standard Reference Materials

NIST ANNOUNCES STANDARD REFERENCEMATERIAL (SRM) 2017 FOR THE PAINTINDUSTRYNIST has developed SRM 2017 to aid the manyindustries dependent on gonioapparent (special visualeffect) paints and coatings to improve the appearance oftheir products. Examples of gonioapparent paintsinclude the pearlescent and metal-flake coating foundon automobiles, which change color or brightness withviewing and/or illumination angle. The successful use ofthese special-effect paints, particularly in automobilemanufacturing, requires measurement of the opticalreflectance of the coatings as a function of angle toensure that the paint application is performed correctly,is reproducible between manufacturing plants, isconstant over time, and can be replicated during a repair.

SRM 2017 is an opal-glass white reflectance standardthat was developed in response to industry demandsfor multi-angle reflectance standards to calibratebi-directional spectrometers used to measure the opticalproperties of gonioapparent paints. The reflectance ofthe opal-glass sample has been accurately measured foran illumination angle of 45� and viewing angles of 15�,25�, 45�, 75�, and 110� at 10 nm wavelength increments

between 360 nm and 780 nm. This standard will helpensure that the measured properties of the special-effectpaints are independent of the instrument manufactureror locale. The standard was produced using theNIST Spectral Tri-function Automated ReferenceReflectometer (STARR) facility.

The appeal of these novel paints to consumersensures that they will attract an increasingly largerfraction of the color pigment market, estimated to beabout $3.5 billion in 2005. The value that these coatingsadd to products is even greater, as yearly there isapproximately $700 billion worth of shipped goods forwhich overall appearance is critical to their sale.CONTACT: Maria Nadal, (301) 975-4632; maria.nadal@nist.gov.

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The International System of Units (SI)The Definitive Reference on the Modern Metric System

NIST Special Publication 330, 2001 EditionDo you need to know about the currentform of the modern metric system, which isofficially called the International System ofUnits (universally abbreviated SI)? Do youwant to know the origin of the SI, how it wasestablished, and how it has progressed to itspresent-day form? Then you need NIST Spe-cial Publication (SP) 330, 2001 Edition. Thispublication is the U.S. version of theEnglish text of the seventh edition (the mostcurrent) of the definitive reference on the SIpublished in 1998 by the InternationalBureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM)under the title Le Systeme Internationald’Unites (SI). However, the 2001 Edition ofSP 330 also incorporates the contents ofSupplement 2000: additions et correctionsa la 7 e edition (1998) published by the BIPMin June 2000.

The main body of NIST SP 330 gives the essentials of the current form of the SI. However,Appendix 1 provides the Resolutions, Recommendations, and Declarations put forward on unitsof measurement and on the SI since 1889 by the General Conference on Weights and Measures(CGPM) and the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM). Further,Appendix 2 summarizes the current state of the practical realizations of some important SIunits, while Appendix 3 gives a brief description of the bodies established by the Meter Conven-tion (the CGPM, CIPM, and BIPM), which was signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by 17 Statesincluding the United States.

The 2001 Edition of SP 330 replaces its immediate predecessor, the 1991 Edition, which wasbased on the sixth edition of the BIPM SI publication. Like its predecessor, the 2001 Editionof SP 330 was edited by NIST physicist Barry N. Taylor.

Single copies of the 75-page NIST SP 330, 2001 Edition, may be obtained by contactingthe NIST Metric Program, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2000, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2000;telephone: 301-975-3690; fax: 301-948-1416; email: metric_prg@nist.gov. NIST SP 330is also available online at the NIST Web site entitled “NIST Reference on Constants, Units, andUncertainty,” physics.nist.gov/cuu.

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Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology—Reports NIST researchand development in metrology and related fields of physical science, engineering, applied mathematics,statistics, biotechnology, and information technology. Papers cover a broad range of subjects, with majoremphasis on measurement methodology and the basic technology underlying standardization. Also includedfrom time to time are survey articles on topics closely related to the Institute’s technical and scientificprograms. Issued six times a year.

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National Standard Reference Data Series—Provides quantitative data on the physical and chemicalproperties of materials, compiled from the world’s literature and critically evaluated. Developed under aworldwide program coordinated by NIST under the authority of the National Standard Data Act (PublicLaw 90-396). NOTE: The Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data (JPCRD) is publishedbimonthly for NIST by the American Institute of Physics (AIP). Subscription orders and renewals areavailable from AIP, P.O. Box 503284, St. Louis, MO 63150-3284.Building Science Series—Disseminates technical information developed at the Institute on buildingmaterials, components, systems, and whole structures. The series presents research results, test methods, andperformance criteria related to the structural and environmental functions and the durability and safetycharacteristics of building elements and systems.Technical Notes—Studies or reports which are complete in themselves but restrictive in their treatment ofa subject. Analogous to monographs but not so comprehensive in scope or definitive in treatment of thesubject area. Often serve as a vehicle for final reports of work performed at NIST under the sponsorship ofother government agencies.Voluntary Product Standards—Developed under procedures published by the Department of Commercein Part 10, Title 15, of the Code of Federal Regulations. The standards establish nationally recognizedrequirements for products, and provide all concerned interests with a basis for common understanding ofthe characteristics of the products. NIST administers this program in support of the efforts of private-sectorstandardizing organizations.

Order the following NIST publications—FIPS and NISTIRs—from the National Technical InformationService, Springfield, VA 22161.Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUB)—Publications in this seriescollectively constitute the Federal Information Processing Standards Register. The Register serves as theofficial source of information in the Federal Government regarding standards issued by NIST pursuant tothe Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as amended, Public Law 89-306 (79 Stat.1127), and as implemented by Executive Order 11717 (38 FR 12315, dated May 11, 1973) and Part 6 ofTitle 15 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations).NIST Interagency or Internal Reports (NISTIR)—The series includes interim or final reports on workperformed by NIST for outside sponsors (both government and nongovernment). In general, initialdistribution is handled by the sponsor; public distribution is handled by sales through the National TechnicalInformation Service, Springfield, VA 22161, in hard copy, electronic media, or microfiche form. NISTIR’smay also report results of NIST projects of transitory or limited interest, including those that will bepublished subsequently in more comprehensive form.

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