NIST Technicalendar March 19 to March 23, 2007 The NIST Technicalendar is issued each Friday. All items MUST be submitted electronically from this web page by 12:00 NOON each Wednesday unless otherwise stated in the NIST Technicalendar. The address for online weekly editions of the NIST Technicalendar and NIST Administrative Calendar is: http://www.nist.gov/tcal/.
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In this Issue: Meetings at NIST Meetings Elsewhere Announcements Talks by NIST Personnel NIST Web Site Announcements NIST Administrative Calendar (current)   NIST Vacancy Announcements (current)

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No Scheduled Events

10:30 AM - 3D Scanning at the Yale Graphics Group
10:30 AM - Ultrafine Indoor Airborne Particulate Matter: Identification, Classification and Correlation with Outdoor Values

2:00 PM - Standardizing Voodoo: Advanced Method for the Measurement of Distillation Curves

10:00 AM - The Design of Mechanically Robust Interconnect Structures for Advanced Microelectronics
10:30 AM - High-resolution atomic force microscopy: Where are we, and where will the future take us?
11:00 AM - Designing Biological Functions in Complex Supramolecular Materials

10:30 AM - If Archimedes Had a Computer: Why Ships, Icebergs and Buildings Tilt and Capsize

3/19 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/20 -- TUESDAY

10:30 AM - MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR: 3D Scanning at the Yale Graphics Group
Professor Rushmeier will present a survey of the different lines of research that the Yale Graphics Group is pursuing that combine 3D scanning and computer graphics. Their research involves generating digital objects from measured positions and digital images in a form that makes it possible to analyze objects, and to apply aspects of the objects to new designs. Professor Rushmeier will describe techniques for capturing and applying the appearance of materials that change over time as a result of weathering processes. She will also briefly discuss methods they are working on to capture consistent color information, fill in missing data in scanned data sets, and capture data in difficult field conditions.
Holly Rushmeier , Professor, Dept. of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, holly@acm.org .
226 Bldg, Rm. B221. (NIST Contact: Li-Piin Sung, 301-975-6737, lipiin@nist.gov)

10:30 AM - BUILDING ENVIRONMENT DIVISION SEMINAR: Ultrafine Indoor Airborne Particulate Matter: Identification, Classification and Correlation with Outdoor Values
Shelly Miller , Associate Professor, Mech Eng'g, Univ of Collorado.
224 Bldg, Rm. B245. (NIST Contact: Andrew Persily, 301-975-6418, andyp@nist.gov)


3/21 -- WEDNESDAY

2:00 PM - PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES DIVISION SEMINAR: Standardizing Voodoo: Advanced Method for the Measurement of Distillation Curves
T. Bruno , Physical and Chemical Properties Division, Boulder, CO, thomas.bruno@nist.gov.
Physics Bldg, Rm. B145. (NIST Contact: D. Friend, 303-497-5424, daniel.friend@nist.gov)


3/22 -- THURSDAY

10:00 AM - CERAMICS DIVISION SEMINAR: The Design of Mechanically Robust Interconnect Structures for Advanced Microelectronics
The drive to reduce the dielectric constant of materials used for interconnect dielectrics has resulted in a steady decrease in their cohesive strength. Also, on cooling from their deposition temperature many of the materials used can develop appreciable tensile stresses in them. As result, there can be sufficient energy stored in interconnect or packaging structures to induce cohesive or delamination failures in interconnect structures. I will discus how current trends in the layout and design of back end of the line structures can impact the stresses and crack driving forces that arise during the fabrication of interconnect structures. I will also show that by using specially designed mechanical test structures the mechanical robustness of interconnect structures under processing and service conditions can be predicted.
Thomas Shaw , IBM TJ Watson Research Center.
Materials Building, Rm. B307. (NIST Contact: Edwin Fuller, 301-975-5795, edwin.fuller@nist.gov)

10:30 AM - CNST SEMINAR SERIES: High-resolution atomic force microscopy: Where are we, and where will the future take us?
Since its invention about two decades ago, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has developed into one of the most frequently used techniques for structural analysis at the nanometer scale due to its almost universal applicability and easy sample preparation. Despite this success and the widespread availability of commercial AFM systems, high-resolution imaging providing molecular or even atomic-scale information has remained a challenge. In this talk, I will discuss the obstacles that have to be overcome to achieve high-resolution images using AFM. As we will see, the techniques that we have to apply vary depending on the specific kind of samples we are interested in. While soft biological samples require liquid environment and extremely low tip-sample interaction forces, other samples are best imaged in ultrahigh vacuum, possibly even at low temperatures. Whatever the sample, however, AFM is in principle able to deliver high-resolution images on all material classes, no matter how delicate. An example is given in the illustration, featuring a 3D atomic-scale image of crystalline xenon, which cannot be obtained with any other technique. We will further elaborate where the limitations of current state-of-the-art high-resolution AFM imaging are, and where possibilities for progress exists.
Udo Schwarz , Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, udo.schwarz@yale.edu.
215 Bldg, Rm. C103-C106. (NIST Contact: Daniel T. Pierce, 301-975-3711, daniel.pierce@nist.gov)

11:00 AM - DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES IN POLYMERS: Designing Biological Functions in Complex Supramolecular Materials
Virgil Percec , University of Pennsylvania.
224 Bldg, Rm. B245. (NIST Contact: Steve Hudson, 301-975-6579, steve.hudson@nist.gov)


3/23 -- FRIDAY

10:30 AM - NIST COLLOQUIUM SERIES : If Archimedes Had a Computer: Why Ships, Icebergs and Buildings Tilt and Capsize
According to legend, Archimedes ran naked through the streets of ancient Syracuse shouting “Eureka!” after discovering his famous Law of Buoyancy. He illustrated this law in his work On Floating Bodies, which became the foundation of modern shipbuilding. However, with the limited geometric tools of his day Archimedes could only consider certain types of floating bodies. Twenty-three centuries later, Archimedes’ seminal work has been brought into the 21st century using advanced computing and graphics systems and applied to new phenomena. What happens to a building, for example, when the soil under it liquefies during an earthquake? Or when a slowly melting iceberg suddenly destabilizes? Such drastic phenomena are now studied in Catastrophe Theory, a field Archimedes could have begun if he had had a computer.
Chris Rorres , School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
Administration Building, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Kum Ham, 301-975-4203, kham@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available


ADVANCE NOTICE

3/29/07 1:30 PM - DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, TECHNOLOGY SERVICES SEMINAR: NIST’s New Patent Policy: An Enabler for Technology Transfer - Myths, Misconceptions and Facts
Information Session for NIST Staff When: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., March 29, 2007*** Where: Gaithersburg Lecture Room D*** Hosted by the Office of Technology Partnerships and the NIST Counsel’s Office All NIST Technical Staff are invited to attend this information session, which will include: • An introduction by NIST Deputy Director Jim Hill • How patents help commercialization and utilization of NIST technology by industry • Discussion of what is patentable and the relation between patents and other tech transfer mechanisms • Common NIST myths and misconceptions concerning patenting and patents • Answers to frequently asked questions about patents and subsequent participation by NIST inventors in ongoing research and/or cooperative development activities • Advice developed in conjunction with the Department of Commerce Ethics Office • A discussion by a NIST inventor of what is involved in actually getting a patent issued, licensed and successfully commercialized. The session will provide ample time for Q&A and participation by NIST staff in the discussions. For further information, contact Terry Lynch. Because seating is limited, please RSVP by email to Brenda Thomasson (brenda.thomasson@nist.gov) if you are planning to attend.
. . , ..
Administration Building, Lecture Room D. (NIST Contact: Terry Lynch, 301-975-2691, terry.lynch@nist.gov)

4/10/07 1:00 PM - NIST COLLOQUIUM SERIES (JOINTLY SPONSORED BY NIST IT SECURITY OFFICE): The Economics of Information Security
SPECIAL DATE AND TIME Surveying current trends in information security, it's clear that a myriad of forces are at work. But fundamentally, security is all about economics: both attacker and defender are trying to maximize the return on their investments. Economics can both explain why security fails so often, and offer new solutions for security success. For example, often the people who could protect a system are not the ones who suffer the costs of failure. Changing those economic incentives will do more to improve security than more technology.
Bruce Schneier , Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Counterpane Network Security, Inc..
Administration Building, Red Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Kum Ham, 301-975-4203, kham@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available

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MEETINGS ELSEWHERE


3/19 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/20 -- TUESDAY

4:15 PM - JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV. CHEMISTRY DEPT/ EPHRAIM AND WILMA SHAW ROSEMAN COLLOQUIUM SERIES: UNDERSTANDING HOW THE THIOLATE SULFUR CONTRIBUTES TO THE FUNCTION OF THE NON-HEME IRON ENZYME SUPEROXIDE REDUCTASE (SOR)
J. Kovacs , Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Bldg, Rm. .
Chemistry Dept., The Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. (NIST Contact: R. Elder, 410-516-7432, rosalie@jhu.edu)



3/21 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/22 -- THURSDAY

No Scheduled Events

3/23 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

No Scheduled Events

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TALKS BY NIST PERSONNEL

COLEMAN, J. : METHOD TO DETERMINE COLLECTION EFFICIENCY OF PARTICLES BY SWIPE SAMPLING.
American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, 2/21.

GONZALEZ, C. : COMPUTATIONAL NANOSCIENCES AT NIST.
Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL, 3/19.

RALCHENKO, Y. (Co-Authors: J.Reader , Physicist, NIST J.M.Pomeroy , Physicist, NIST) Gillaspy, J.D., Physicist, NIST, Tan, J.N., Physicist, NIST : EUV SPECTRA FROM HIGHLY-CHARGED IONS OF TUNGSTEN IN THE 12-20 NM REGION.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

RALCHENKO, Y. (Co-Authors: A.Kramida , Physicist, NIST J.Reader , Physicist, NIST) : NIST NUMERICAL DATABASES FOR ATOMIC AND PLASMA PHYSICS.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

PODOBEDOVA, L. (Co-Author: W.L.Wiese , Physicist, NIST) : ATOMIC TRANSITION PROBABILITIES FOR CL I - CL III.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

RALCHENKO, Y. (Co-Authors: E.Kroupp , Physicist, Philips Medical Systems Technologies L.Gregorian , Physicist, Philips Medical Systems Technologies) Davara, G., Physicist, Negevtech, Starobinets, A., Physicist, Weizmann Institute of Science, Maron, Y., Physicist, Weizmann Institute of Science, Alexiou, S., Physicist, University of Crete : MEASUREMENTS OF SPECTRAL LINE SHAPES FOR STUDYING THE PARTICLE DENSITY AND MOTION IN AN IMPLODING Z-PINCH PLASMA.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

ALI, M. (Co-Author: Y.Kim , Physicist, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD) : TOTAL IONIZATION CROSS SECTIONS OF SILICON CHLORIDES BY ELECTRON IMPACT.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

HUDSON, L. (Co-Authors: L.Hudson , Physicist, Gaithersburg, MD, lawrence.hudson@nist.gov H.Albert , Physicist, Gaithersburg, MD, albert.henins@nist.gov) Co-Authors: J. Seely and G. Holland, NRL : DIAGNOSTIC SPECTROMETERS FOR TOMORROW'S X-RAY SOURCES..
Physics Laboratory, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, 3/19.

RALCHENKO, Y. (Co-Authors: H.Chung , Physicist, LLNL M.H.Chen , Physicist, LLNL) Lee, R., Physicist, LLNL : FLYCHK AT NIST : THE POPULATION KINETICS MODELING CAPABILITY.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

KRAMIDA, A. (Co-Authors: C.M.Brown , Physicist, Naval Research Laboratory U.Feldman , Physicist, Artep) Nave, G., Physicist, NIST, Reader, J., Physicist, NIST : SPECTRA OF NE II, NE III, AND NE IV WITH A PENNING DISCHARGE IN THE VACUUM ULTRAVIOLET.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

FISCHER, C. (Co-Author: O.Zatsarinny , Physicist, Drake University) : PHOTOIONIZATION FROM 4S4P LEVELS TO 4P2 RESONANCES IN NEUTRAL ZINC.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

FUHR, J. (Co-Authors: A.E.Kramida , Physicist, NIST J.Reader , Physicist, NIST) Martin, W.C., Physicist, NIST, Saloman, E.B., Physicist, NIST, Olsen, K. Physicist, NIST, Kotochigova, S., Physicist, NIST, Ibacache, R., Technical Information Specialist, NIST : NIST’S BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES ON ATOMIC SPECTRA.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

FUHR, J. (Co-Author: W.L.Wiese , Physicist, NIST) : NEW CRITICAL COMPILATIONS OF ATOMIC TRANSITION PROBABILITIES FOR NEUTRAL AND SINGLY IONIZED CARBON, NITROGEN AND IRON.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

KRAMIDA, A. : HE-LIKE SATELLITES TO H-LIKE RESONANCE LINES OF LIGHT ELEMENTS.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

KRAMIDA, A. : SPECTRAL DATA FOR TUNGSTEN ATOMS AND IONS, W I THROUGH W LXXIV.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

SALOMAN, E. : COMPILATION OF ENERGY LEVELS AND OBSERVED SPECTRAL LINES OF KRYPTON: KR I – KR XXXVI.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

SANSONETTI, C. (Co-Author: M.B.Greene , Physicist, NIST) : INFRARED SPECTRUM AND IMPROVED ENERGY LEVELS OF NEUTRAL KRYPTON.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

STONE, P. (Co-Author: Y.K.Kim , Physicist, NIST) : IONIZATION OF SILICON, GERMANIUM, TIN AND LEAD BY ELECTRON IMPACT.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

READER, J. (Co-Author: T.Ahmad , Physicist, Aligarh Muslim University) : REVISED AND EXTENDED ANALYSIS OF MO V.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

STONE, P. : KIM MEMORIAL LECTURE.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD USA, 3/19.

GILLASPY, J. (Co-Authors: E.Silver , Harvard-Smithsonian Cen/Astrophysics G.Chen , Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) Kirby, K., Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Brickhouse, N.S., Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Tan, J.N., NIST, Pomeroy, J.M., NIST, Laming, J.M., NRL : X-RAY MEASUREMENTS USING A MICROCALORIMETER ON AN ELECTRON BEAM ION TRAP.
The 15th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD, 3/19.

BEVERSLUIS, M. : NANO-OPTICS FOR CHEMICAL AND MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION.
Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative 2007 Workshop, The Cranwell Resort, Lenox, MA, 3/20.

SCHOENMAKER, J. : "SI STRESS IMAGING AND TOUGHNESS MEASUREMENTS BY RAMAN SCATTERING".
Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative 2007 Workshop, The Cranwell Resort, Lenox, MA, 3/20.

GONZALEZ, C. : THE ROLE OF THEORY AND COMPUTATION IN NANOSCIENCE.
Arizona State University/Hispanic Research Center, Tempe, AZ, 3/21.

HOLBROOK, D. : BEHAVIOR AND REMOVAL OF MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBES DURING SIMULATED DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES.
American Chemical Society National Meeting, McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, Il, 3/25.

TEAGUE, L. : SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS OF ALKYL TETHERED MOIETIES.
American Chemical Society National Meeting, Sheraton Chicago, Chicago, IL, 3/26.

WALKER, M. : AN IN-SITU SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF POTENTIAL ON FIBRINOGEN/THROMBIN.
American Chemical Society National Meeting, McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL, 3/29.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SEQUENTIAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
Mr. Nicholas Chang Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 11:00AM, Building 222, Room A240 Emerging wireless communication technologies have posed numerous challenges in the efficient and robust design/operation of wireless networks, in particular the efficient use of scarce resources, e.g. bandwidth, energy, time. This presentation considers two resource allocation problems that are motivated by these challenges. In the first problem, an individual needs to accomplish a task by repeatedly guessing/investing a sufficient level of effort or input. If the investment falls short of a minimum required level which is unknown to the individual, she fails and tries again by using higher input levels until she succeeds. Motivating applications for this problem include selecting time-to-live (TTL) values for controlled flooding search in a communication network, determining the power level for wireless transmission, and using automatic retransmission request (ARQ) in wireless communications. The objective is to complete the task with as little resources/cost as possible subject to a delay constraint. The individual must balance between (1) selecting a level below the minimum required and therefore having to try again, thus wasting resources and (2) selecting a level (far) above the minimum required and therefore wasting resources. Assuming the individual has no knowledge on the distribution of the minimum effort required, we formulate a constrained optimization problem by adopting a worst-case cost measure and a worst-case delay measure. We derive a class of optimal strategies, shown to be randomized, and obtain their performance as a function of the constraint. In the second problem, we consider optimal opportunistic spectrum access (OSA) policies for a transmitter in a multi-channel wireless system, where a channel can be in one of multiple states. Each channel state is associated with a probability of transmission success or a transmission rate. Motivating applications for this work include designing joint probing and transmission strategies for secondary users in a cognitive radio network. In such systems, the transmitter typically has partial information concerning the channel states but can deduct more by probing individual channels. However, channel probing consumes valuable resources, e.g. energy and time. The main goal of this work is to derive optimal strategies for determining which channels to probe (in what sequence) and which channel to use for transmission. We derive key structural properties of the optimal strategy. In particular, we show that it exhibits a threshold structure and can only take one of three structural forms. These properties are used to propose an efficient algorithm that is optimal for a number of special cases. The performance of this algorithm is also examined under a class of practical channel models via numerical studies.
NIST Contact: Nader Moayeri, 301-975-3767, moayeri@nist.gov

SEQUENTIAL OPPORTUNISTIC DECODING FOR WIRELESS NETWORKS
Dr. Onyemelem Jegbefume, Ph.D. Thursday, March 22, 2007, 11:00AM, Building 222, Room A240 Emerging Wireless technologies enable transfer of data at very high rates for services such as real-time video and image transmission. To avoid congestion in the system, efficient utilization of the wireless channel is paramount. One way to use the radio link efficiently is to minimize the number of frame (or packet) retransmissions. This can be achieved by developing protocols that reduce the probability of frame error in the physical layer. Another way is the adaptation of data transfer rate to the channel condition, an exploitation of the time-variant nature of the wireless channel. In this work, five algorithms that improve the efficiency of data communication through one of the aforementioned ways are designed and studied. The class of protocols developed is termed Sequential Opportunistic Decoding (SOD). Firstly, we develop protocols in which the received frame is sub-divided into a number of mini-frames. A subset of the mini-frames is chosen from the set containing all the mini-frames. The members of the subset are optimally combined and the result is used to attempt to decode the frame. If unsuccessful, another subset is selected and another trial is made. We observe that utilizing the protocol can result in a considerable reduction in the frame error rate (FER) compared to the conventional system, leading to a more efficient use of the radio resource. Secondly, we propose a protocol that exploits code puncturing at the receiver to provide considerable performance gains. Finally, we design protocols that adjust the processing gain, and thus the data transfer rate according to the channel conditions. Unlike other processing gain control algorithms in the literature, the control operation is carried out primarily at the receiver. This leads to a distributed protocol, and a better way to utilize the wireless medium. We show that utilizing the proposed protocol can yield a significant increase in the throughput, a measure of the amount of data transferred from transmitter to receiver successfully in a specific length of time, or a significant reduction in the FER.
NIST Contact: Nader Moayeri, 301-975-3767, moayeri@nist.gov

NIST RESEARCH LIBRARY 2007 CUSTOMER SURVEY
The NIST Research Library is conducting a survey now through March 23. The 20-minute, 20-question survey will solicit your opinions about the Research Library’s collection and services and about your preferred style of gathering information. This survey will play an important role in ensuring that ISD resources and services continue to be aligned with your information needs. We urge everyone who receives a survey link to participate!
NIST Contact: NIST Research Library, 301-975-4189, nancy.allmang@nist.gov

MARCH BOOK GIVEAWAY AT THE NIST RESEARCH LIBRARY
The NIST Research Library is discarding some older, unused books from its collection. Please feel free to look them over and to take any that may be useful to you. The giveaway books are designated by signs in the library and will be available through March 30.
NIST Contact: NIST Research Library, 301-975-3052, library@nist.gov

VISITOR REGISTRATION FOR NIST EVENTS
Because of heightened security at the NIST Gaithersburg site, members of the public who wish to attend meetings, seminars, lectures, etc. must first register in advance. For more information please call or e-mail the "NIST Contact" for the particular event you would like to attend.
NIST Contact: . ., ., .

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NIST WEB SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS

No Web Site announcements this week.

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For more information, contact Ms. Sharon Hallman, Editor, Stop 2500, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg MD 20899-2500; Telephone: 301-975-TCAL (3570); Fax: 301-926-4431; or Email: tcal@nist.gov.

All lectures and meetings are open unless otherwise stated.

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