NIST Technicalendar January 5 to January 9, 2009 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/.

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

2:30 PM - What's New at TIP?

11:00 AM - Allan Variance and the Uncertainty of the Autocorrelated Measurements

2:30 PM - What's New at TIP?

11:00 AM - EXTENSIONS OF ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY: DATA STORAGE, TRIBOLOGY, AND OFF-CONTACT IMAGING
1:30 PM - Overview of Integrated Multifunctional Structural Nanotube Polymer Nanocomposites for Aerospace Applications

1/5 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

1/6 -- TUESDAY

2:30 PM - DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM SEMINAR: What's New at TIP?
TIP's first competition and results? Plans, expectations, and critical national need topics for 2009? The launching of the exciting new TIP Associates program? These and related topics will be the subject of this informational briefing open to all NIST staff. To accommodate schedules, the event will be repeated on three dates. Please RSVP to Michelle Beddow, x8910, in advance of each event. Special Needs Available
Thomas Wiggins , Director, Selection Management Office, TIP. Michael Schen , Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director, TIP.
Administration Bldg, Lecture Rm. B. (NIST Contact: Thomas Wiggins, 301-975-5416, thomas.wiggins@nist.gov)


1/7 -- WEDNESDAY

11:00 AM - STATISTICAL ENGINEERING DIVISION SEMINAR: Allan Variance and the Uncertainty of the Autocorrelated Measurements
When repeated measurements are autocorrelated, it is not appropriate to use the traditional approach to calculate the uncertainty of the average of the measurements, which assumes that the measurements are statistically independent. In Zhang (2006), a practical approach to calculate the corresponding uncertainty and the confidence interval when the data are from a stationary process was proposed. However, when the data are from a non-stationary process such as a random walk or a 1/f noise, the classical variance is inappropriate to characterize the process. Allan variance has been used to characterize the stability of clock or frequency standards and recently the noise of Zener-diode voltage standards. However, it has been used mostly for its properties related to the power spectrum density for a variety of stochastic process, in particular, the 1/f noise. In this paper, we study the property of the Allan variance for various time series in the time domain and demonstrate that it is alternative measure for some autocorrelated data in assessing the uncertainty.
Nien Fan Zhang , Mathematical Statstician.
222 Bldg, Rm. A326. (NIST Contact: Nien Fan Zhang, 301-975-2842, nienfan.zhang@nist.gov)


1/8 -- THURSDAY

2:30 PM - DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM SEMINAR: What's New at TIP?
TIP's first competition and results? Plans, expectations, and critical national need topics for 2009? The launching of the exciting new TIP Associates program? These and related topics will be the subject of this informational briefing open to all NIST staff. To accommodate schedules, the event will be repeated on three dates. Please RSVP to Michelle Beddow, x8910, in advance of each event.
Thomas Wiggins , Director, Selection Management Office, TIP. Michael Schen , Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director, TIP.
Administration Bldg, Lecture Rm. B. (NIST Contact: Thomas Wiggins, 301-975-5416, thomas.wiggins@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available


1/9 -- FRIDAY

11:00 AM - CNST ELECTRON PHYSICS GROUP SEMINAR: EXTENSIONS OF ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY: DATA STORAGE, TRIBOLOGY, AND OFF-CONTACT IMAGING
I will discuss my activities as a postdoctoral fellow in the memory and probe technologies group at IBM Research. First, I will describe my work toward achieving high speed writing for probe-based data storage in polymers (the "Millipede" concept). In addition, I studied the pressure dependence of friction between silicon probe tips and polymer surfaces. The pressure-dependent component of the shear stress helps reduce the activation energy for atom-by-atom removal of tip material. Another aspect of my work is the discovery of a new surface interrogation method that employs thermoelectric cantilevers for off-contact thermal imaging. The integrated heaters in these cantilevers provide a useful alternative to other imaging methods for handling challenging topographies, limiting tip wear in high speed applications, and enabling combined imaging and manipulation schemes. Finally, I will briefly summarize my current investigations using conductive probes to characterize chalcogenide phase change materials for emerging memory devices.
Rachel Cannara , Postdoctoral Scholar, IBM Zürich Research Laboratory, Switzerland.
Bldg.217, Rm.H107. (NIST Contact: Jabez McClelland, 301-975-3721, jabez.mcclelland@nist.gov)

1:30 PM - MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR: Overview of Integrated Multifunctional Structural Nanotube Polymer Nanocomposites for Aerospace Applications
Cheol Park , PhD; Fellow; National Institute of Aerospace; Hampton, Virginia.
226 Bldg, Rm. B221. (NIST Contact: Tinh Nguyen, 301-975-6718, tinh.nguyen@nist.gov)


ADVANCE NOTICE

1/13/09 10:30 AM - ATOMIC PHYSICS DIVISION SEMINAR: Spins in Quantum Dot Molecules
Quantum dots are often described as artificial atoms because the three dimensional confinement leads to discrete energy states analogous to atomic energy levels. In recent years there has been a flurry of research on quantum dots motivated largely by proposals to use spins confined in quantum dots for quantum information processing. One of the major challenges for these quantum information schemes is the mechanism for controllably coupling separate quantum dots. In order to study the physical interactions that could be used to control coupling between separate dots, we have used MBE growth techniques to create coupled pairs of quantum dots. We call these coupled pairs of dots "quantum dot molecules" because they exhibit molecular wavefunctions. In this talk, I will describe the growth of quantum dot molecules and present the characteristic photoluminescence patterns that allow us to understand the coupling mechanisms. We find that the combination of spin exchange interactions and tunneling lead to complex photoluminescence spectra that can be understood with relatively simple models of the molecular states. We also find that there are uniquely molecular spin properties. For example, the formation of delocalized molecular states for a single hole leads to a very large resonant enhancement or reduction of g-factor that can be controlled with an applied electric field. Using this effect to identify the symmetry of the wavefunction, we have now found that the energetic order of the bonding and anti-bonding molecular states goes through a reversal as a function of tunnel barrier thickness. This non-intuitive effect arises from the spin-orbit interaction.
Matt Doty , Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware.
Physics Building, Room B145. (NIST Contact: Neil Zimmerman, 301-975-5887, neil.zimmerman@nist.gov)

1/13/09 2:30 PM - DIRECTOR'S OFFICE, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM SEMINAR: What's New at TIP?
TIP's first competition and results? Plans, expectations, and critical national need topics for 2009? The launching of the exciting new TIP Associates program? These and related topics will be the subject of this informational briefing open to all NIST staff. To accommodate schedules, the event will be repeated on three dates. Please RSVP to Michelle Beddow, x8910, in advance of each event.
Thomas Wiggins , Director, Selection Management Office, TIP. Michael Schen , Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director, TIP.
Administration Bldg, Lecture Rm. B. (NIST Contact: Thomas Wiggins, 301-975-5416, thomas.wiggins@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available

1/14/09 10:30 AM - BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCE DIVISION SEMINAR: Building the Bio-Device Interface: Electro-Addressing with Stimuli-Responsive Polysaccharides
There is considerable interest in coupling the capabilities of biology for molecular recognition with the capabilities of microelectronics for high speed signal processing and wireless communication. A key limitation is the effective integration of the labile biological components into the device. Our group is examining the potential for biofabricating the bio-device interface using materials and mechanisms from biology. Specifically, we are enlisting stimuli-responsive polysaccharides that can be induced to undergo reversible sol-gel transitions in response to locally-imposed electrical signals. Chitosan is an aminopolysaccharide that is soluble at low pH but undergoes gel formation as the pH approaches its pKa (» 6.3). Chitosan can be electrodeposited at a cathode surface in response to the localized high pH generated by electrochemical reduction reactions. Once electrodeposited, the chitosan film can be electrochemically activated by anodic oxidation. Spectroscopic evidence indicates that anodic oxidation generates carbonyl moieties (presumably aldehydes) that can react with proteins. The combination of electrodeposition and electrochemical conjugation provides a reagentless method to quantitatively assemble proteins at electrode addresses. Alginate is an acidic polysaccharide that can undergo gel formation in the presence of calcium ions. Recent studies demonstrate that alginate can be induced to undergo gel formation at the anode. Experimental results show that E. coli cells can be co-deposited with calcium alginate and the cells are entrapped within the hydrogel network. Further, these cells were able to multiply within the gel and could respond to their environment (i.e., be induced). Finally, the entrapped cells could be released from the alginate network by adding compounds (e.g., sodium citrate) that bind calcium ions. Our results suggest that the electrodeposition of stimuli-responsive, gel-forming polysaccharides could offer important opportunities for microarray and lab-on-a-chip devices.
Gregory Payne , Director of the Center for Biosystems Research, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute.
ACSL Bldg, Rm. A202. (NIST Contact: Wyatt Vreeland, 301-975-8513, wyatt.vreeland@nist.gov)

1/23/09 10:30 AM - NIST COLLOQUIUM SERIES: Is God a Mathematician?
For centuries, mathematical theories have proven uncannily accurate at describing - and predicting - the physical world. What is it that gives mathematics such powers? In "Is God A Mathematician?" this question will be thoroughly reviewed. The talk will span such fields as mathematics, cosmology, physics, and the cognitive sciences, and will attempt to offer an accessible and lively account of the lives and thoughts of some of the greatest mathematicians and scientists in history, from Archimedes to Galileo and Descartes, and from Newton to Hilbert and Gödel, on up to the present day. Along the way I will discuss another question with which mathematicians, philosophers, and neuroscientists have struggled for centuries: Is mathematics ultimately invented or discovered? Dr. Mario Livio is the acclaimed author of "The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved" and "The Golden Ratio." His new book, "Is God a Mathematician?" will be available for review and purchase before and after the talk. A popular lecturer, he last spoke at NIST in 2004 (Beauty in a Dark Universe).
Mario Livio , Senior Astrophysicist, Space Telescope Science Institute.
Administration Building, Green Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Kum Ham, 301-975-4203, kham@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available

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MEETINGS ELSEWHERE


1/5 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

1/6 -- TUESDAY

No Scheduled Events

1/7 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

1/8 -- THURSDAY

No Scheduled Events

1/9 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

No Scheduled Events

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TALKS BY NIST PERSONNEL

No Scheduled Events

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL SIGMA XI POSTDOCTORAL POSTER PRESENTATION (PPP) CALL FOR POSTERS
The NIST Chapter of Sigma Xi invites all Post-Doctoral Fellows to present a poster on their scientific research to their NIST coworkers and friends. Guest Scientists who have received their advanced degree in the last five years are also welcome. There will be two sessions – Session I from 9 am until noon and session II – from 1 pm until 4 pm. Both sessions will take place on February 11, 2009 in Lecture Rooms A and B and the adjoining hallway in the Administration Building and will be accompanied by refreshments. All the participating Post-docs and Guest Scientists will be invited to a special reception in the Employees Lounge on February 20 when the awards for the most outstanding posters will be announced. Registration this year is $10. To participate, please register by sending a check payable to the NIST Chapter of Sigma Xi or cash to Dr. Darwin Reyes (NIST Chapter of Sigma Xi, Mail Stop 8120) and send an abstract of your poster in MS Word and the author information listed below to yuqin.zong@nist.gov Please format your abstract as follows: (TITLE all caps, followed by full authors' names, underline all authors who are postdocs and/or eligible guest workers followed by the text – not more than 300 words). The author information should be on another page and must include: Your Name, Mentor's name, Division, Laboratory, Room and Building address, Mail Stop, Telephone #, FAX #, email and whether you and/or your mentor are Sigma Xi members. You must choose a category that best describes your poster: Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Engineering, Materials, Mathematics, or Physics. A template will soon be available on the Sigma Xi Web page where abstracts from previous years can also be seen (http://www.nist.gov/sigmaxi). THE DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS IS JANUARY 15, 2009. Posters in each session will be numbered according to the time of their receipt. Space this year is even more limited than last year, so please sign up early.
NIST Contact: Jason Gardner, 301-975-8391, jsg@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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