NIST Technicalendar June 29 to July 3, 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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10:30 AM - Wetting 101 Degrees. Challenging the Current View of Liquids Wetting Solids
10:30 AM - New Aerosol Measurement Technology for Total Flooding Agents
2:00 PM - Probing Thermal Properties of Polymeric Materials at the Micro and Nanoscale

2:00 PM - TS, TIP, MEP, and the CFO Introduction to NIST's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the NanoFab
3:00 PM - Modeling Background Noise for Denoising in Chemical Spectroscopy

3:00 PM - Mathematical Strategies for Filtering Turbulent Systems: Sparse Observations, Model Errors,and Stochastic Parameter Estimation

10:45 AM - An Overview of Atomic Clocks
3:30 PM - Oceans and Archipelagos: Landscapes for Extracellular Darwinian Evolution

No Scheduled Events

6/29 -- MONDAY

10:30 AM - POLYMERS DIVISION SEMINAR: Wetting 101 Degrees. Challenging the Current View of Liquids Wetting Solids
Thomas McCarthy , University of Massachusetts.
224 Bldg, Rm. A312. (NIST Contact: Chris Stafford, 301-975-4368, christopher.stafford@nist.gov)

10:30 AM - FIRE RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR: New Aerosol Measurement Technology for Total Flooding Agents
Often new or extended technologies are developed in concert with synergist technologies where they depend on each other for advancement. A case study of one such technology developed together with a new aerosol total flooding fire suppression system is presented. This aerosol total flooding suppression system is being developed to replace Halon 1301 in civil aircraft, but cannot be deployed without a repeatable measurement device. The evolution of an aerosol measurement device will be discussed including the barriers encountered, the calibration technique applied, and the various test scales in which it was utilized. The measurement of any phenomena is paramount when analyzing results and evaluating performance.
Scott Ayers , Kidde Aerospace.
Bldg 224, Rm B245. (NIST Contact: Rodney Bryant, 301-975-6487, rodney.bryant@nist.gov)

2:00 PM - MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR: Probing Thermal Properties of Polymeric Materials at the Micro and Nanoscale
Polymeric materials are being increasingly used for consumer applications due to the relative ease with which the raw materials can be processed, versatility in form, for their tunable properties at the molecular level and economy of the manufacturing process. Materials employed for electronics, medical, and for solar cell applications, for example, often require fabrication of ordered and sometimes highly constrained polymer layers with thickness in the range of a few to hundreds of nanometers. At these dimensions, spatial confinement effects may lead to significant deviations in mechanical and thermal properties which often deviate from bulk properties. These concerns raise the fundamental need for developing new tools for understanding the size-scale dependent effect on material properties. Moreover, owing to the viscoelastic nature of most polymers, their mechanical and functional properties often show a marked time and temperature dependence. Therefore, the need for testing thinner and smaller features has led to the development of new scanned probe-based tools capable of testing thermal properties of very small volumes along with a high degree of positioning accuracy. Developments in active thermal probes which consist of AFM cantilevers with integrated heaters have further increased the capabilities of scanned probe microscopy by providing not only high resolution imaging capabilities, but now enable the AFM to probe local thermal properties at micro and sub-100nm size scales. Micro or nano-scale thermal analysis can also be implemented by using an optical microscopy based system. The optical based system utilizes stand-alone reflection optics that incorporate thermal probe technology capable of single point thermal analysis, also called localized thermal analysis (LTA). By combining the individual single point analyses into a predefined array of points, one can also generate a thermal transition map. This technique is called Transition Temperature Microscopy (TTM). TTM maps spatial variations in thermal properties on sub-micron length scales and consists of a false color map created where the pixels are shaded according to the measured transition temperatures. This presentation outlines various applications of localized thermal analysis and Transition Temperature Microscopy and compares the performance of thermal probes to traditional thermal methods. Examples include characterization of multi-layer films from liquid crystalline displays, monitoring crosslink density and mechanical property development in automotive coatings, characterization of interfaces in composites, and characterization of outdoor weathered polymers. The benefits and limitations of combining optical microscopy and AFM with thermal nanoprobes are also discussed.
Lou Germinario , LG Analytical, Kingsport, TN.
224 Bldg, Rm. B245. (NIST Contact: Aaron Forster, 301-975-8701, aaron.forster@nist.gov)
Special Assistance Available


6/30 -- TUESDAY

2:00 PM - CNST OUTREACH SERIES: TS, TIP, MEP, and the CFO Introduction to NIST's Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and the NanoFab
This meeting is part of a series of presentations to introduce the staff to NIST's newest operating unit, the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST). An overview of the CNST will be presented which will provide a brief description of CNST's structure, which consists of both a research program and the NanoFab, a shared-use nanofabrication and nanoscale measurement facility. A strong bias toward collaborative work being among CNST's prime attributes, the overview will describe how the CNST fulfills its mission of enabling nanotechnology through collaboration with scientists within its research program and by providing easy access to the NanoFab. The NanoFab, which provides economical access to a wide variety of advanced lithography and microscopy tools, will be described. Examples of recent nanofabrication projects will be used to illustrate our capabilities. Finally, the process for becoming a NanoFab user or having a nanostructure made or measured will be outlined. The laboratory by laboratory series of presentations has been designed to allow significant time to answer questions and tours will be arranged.
Robert Celotta , CNST. Alex Liddle and Vincent Luciani
Bldg. 215, Rm. C103. (NIST Contact: Lloyd Whitman, 301-975-8002, lloyd.whitman@nist.gov)

3:00 PM - MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR: Modeling Background Noise for Denoising in Chemical Spectroscopy
Richard Barnard , Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
Administration Bldg, Lecture Rm. F. (NIST Contact: Anthony Kearsley, 301-975-6103, ajk@nist.gov) http://math.nist.gov/mcsd/Seminars/2009/2009-06-30-Barnard.html


7/1 -- WEDNESDAY

3:00 PM - MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES DIVISION SEMINAR: Mathematical Strategies for Filtering Turbulent Systems: Sparse Observations, Model Errors,and Stochastic Parameter Estimation
John Harlim , New York University.
Administration Bldg, Lecture Rm. A. (NIST Contact: Aaron Lott, 301-975-8159, aaron.lott@nist.gov) http://math.nist.gov/mcsd/Seminars/2009/2009-07-01-harlim.html


7/2 -- THURSDAY

10:45 AM - IONIZING RADIATION DIVISION SEMINAR: An Overview of Atomic Clocks
Amber Post , Physicist.
NCNR Bldg. 235, Rm. E100. (NIST Contact: David Jacobson, 301-975-6207, david.jacobson@nist.gov)

3:30 PM - SURF SUMMER SEMINAR SERIES: Oceans and Archipelagos: Landscapes for Extracellular Darwinian Evolution
Natural selection and the evolutionary adaptation of organisms to their environments are direct reflections of the Darwinian process of selection and imperfect reproduction at work on the molecular level. RNA and DNA, the informational molecules of modern biology, can be evolved directly using the tools of biochemistry to achieve selection, amplification, and mutation. These extracellular Darwinian systems enable systematic control over the entire evolutionary process, from population size, to selection pressure and mutagenesis. Over the past decades the molecular and physical sophistication of these experiments has blossomed. Reactions of simple replicating RNAs have expanded into multi-species experiments with RNAs competing to catalyze the key reaction of biological information transfer. And, the test tubes of conventional chemistry are yielding to computer controlled microchip reactors and microfluidic droplet generators that precisely create billions of microscopic islands, each populated with a single progenitor molecule. On the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, we can now recreate in the laboratory the quintessential evolutionary experiment of the Galapagos finches entirely from molecules!* *Beaks and feathers not included.
Dr. Brian Paegel , The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL.
Administration Bldg, Green Auditorium. (NIST Contact: Anita Sweigert, 301-975-4201, anita.sweigert@nist.gov)
Special Assistance; Contact A. Sweigert a week in advance.


7/3 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

7/9/09 10:30 AM - CHEMICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL REFERENCE DATA DIVISION SEMINAR: Protein Interactions and Aggregation from a Pharmaceutical and Protein Engineering Perspective
Christopher Roberts, Professor , University of Delaware, Newark, DE.
Physics Building, Room A366. (NIST Contact: Vincent Shen, 301-975-2461, vincent.shen@nist.gov)

7/10/09 10:30 AM - CNST NANOFABRICATION RESEARCH GROUP SEMINAR: Introduction of Functionalities into DNA Nanostructures
DNA has been intensively explored as a building block for nanoconstruction based on rational design and self-assembly. DNA nanostructures have been continuously evolved and there have been remarkable achievements. However, it remains challenging to introduce functionalities into such DNA nanostructures. DNA is potentially a good candidate for biomedical applications because it is biodegradable and a natural component of life systems. Recently our group has developed a DNA nanotube (DNA-NT) system with a single component, a 52-base-long DNA single strand.2 I have explored the use of DNA-NTs as drug carriers for cellular delivery.3 Functional agents (folate, a cancer cell target agent, and Cy3, model drug and imaging agent) are conjugated with DNA-NTs. The folate-conjugated DNA-NTs are effectively and selectively taken up by cancer cells because folate receptors are over-expressed on the cell surfaces of various cancer cells. RNA molecules are structurally close to DNA. Different from DNA, RNA has very rich chemical, structural, and functional diversities. I have developed a novel strategy to design and construct RNA nanostructures.4 This strategy is generally applicable and has been demonstrated by assembly of RNA into various well-defined nanomotifs, which can further assemble into extended or discrete large structures. I expect that this strategy will allow us to assemble various nanostructures with multi-functional RNA modalities.
Seung-Hyeon (Sarah) Ko , Department of Chemistry, Purdue University,.
Bldg. 217, Rm. H107. (NIST Contact: James Liddle, 301-975-6050, james.liddle@nist.gov)

7/14/09 10:30 AM - ATOMIC PHYSICS DIVISION SEMINAR: Material and Structural Enhancements to Spin-Transfer Efficiency for MRAM Applications
The discovery of the spin transfer effect has opened up possibilities for a new type of spin electronic device, in which small nanomagnetic elements are directly manipulated using spin polarized electric currents. Applications for these devices include uses as high-speed, non-volatile memory elements, as well as RF nano-oscillators for communication purposes. I will discuss the effect that different magnetic materials and device geometries can have on the micromagnetic structure generated within these nanomagnets. In particular, I will focus on a nanopillar geometry with tapered sidewalls, which acts to generate a spatially nonuniform spin current polarized partially out of the film plane. This strategy is shown, through both simulations and pulsed current experiments on devices fabricated by our group, to be effective in enhancing spin transfer efficiency, resulting in faster magnetization switching with lower reversal currents. In addition, I will discuss a novel nanopillar structure where a third electrode can be made to any point within a thin-film multilayer stack, substantially enhancing the versatility of the device by providing the means of applying independent electrical biases to two separate parts of the device. This three-terminal structure provides a strategy for developing high performance spin-torque magnetic random access memory cells which avoids the need to apply a large voltage across a MTJ during the writing step, thereby enhancing device reliability, while retaining the benefits of a high-impedance MTJ for read-out.
Patrick M. Braganca , ..
Physics Building, Room B145. (NIST Contact: Neil Zimmerman, 301-975-5887, neil.zimmerman@nist.gov)

7/15/09 10:30 AM - CNST ELECTRON PHYSICS GROUP SEMINAR: ENABLERS FOR PROBE-BASED NANOMANUFACTURING AND NANOMETROLOGY
Of all the nanomechanical systems used, probes are perhaps the simplest, yet most indispensable tools used in the nanoscale research and development world today. At the nanoscale, quick and easy characterization tools are urgently needed to be able to deliver many technologies from their languid presence in the basement to the real world. Probe-based techniques are gaining prominence because they can be used to effectively probe both the surface, as well as the electrical characteristics at the nanoscale. In addition the same probe can be used to manipulate structures, and then re-image the manipulated region. Thus, any nanomanufacturing scheme will have to use probe-technologies at some level. In this talk, I will give an overview of my work within IBM in tackling some of these interesting issues. A brief introduction to probe-based data storage will be given, since this application embodies many of the challenges facing probe-based technologies. Some of my work on platinum silicide tips and "encapsulated" tips for conduction-mode probe-based technologies will also be presented. The performance of the encapsulated conducting tips in sliding is shown to be several times better than commercial conducting probes. Both these technologies have enabled us to perform effective nanoscale phase transformations in chalcogenide-based phase change materials - a proof of concept that probe-based nanometrology can be robust.
Harish Bhaskaran , Postdoctoral Fellow/ IBM Zurich Research Laboratory,.
Bldg.217, Rm.H107. (NIST Contact: Rachel Cannara, 301-975-4258, rachel.cannara@nist.gov)

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MEETINGS ELSEWHERE


6/29 -- MONDAY

No Scheduled Events

6/30 -- TUESDAY

No Scheduled Events

7/1 -- WEDNESDAY

No Scheduled Events

7/2 -- THURSDAY

No Scheduled Events

7/3 -- FRIDAY

No Scheduled Events

ADVANCE NOTICE

No Scheduled Events

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TALKS BY NIST PERSONNEL

SANSONETTI, C. : ATOMIC EMISSION SOURCES FOR PREPARING FOR FUTURE ELT INSTRUMENTS: PRECISION WAVELENGTH CALIBRATIONS.
Cal Net Workshop, Uppsala,Sweden, 6/17.

GILLIS, K. : INVESTIGATION OF LIGHT ABSORPTION BY COATED SOOT AEROSOLS.
Seventeenth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, Boulder, CO, 6/22.

GILLIS, K. : DESIGN OF ACOUSTIC RESONATORS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES.
Seventeenth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, Boulder, CO, 6/23.

SOLES, C. : THE DIRECT PATTERNING OF ORGANOSILICATE MATERIALS BY NANOIMPRINT.
Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 6/30.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

S.T.E.M. TALENT 2009: CONFERENCE AND CAREER FAIR FOR POSTDOCS IN THE CAPITAL REGION
NIST is once again a sponsoring organization of this year's Postdoctoral event, "S.T.E.M. Talent 2009: Conference and Career Fair for Postdocs in the Capital Region". The event will take place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009, from 8:30 am – 3:30pm at the Montgomery County Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Drive, Bethesda. The goals of the event are to: - connect qualified postdoctoral fellows with companies and organizations that have appropriate openings - provide postdocs with the advice and resources needed to secure a non-academic position - support Washington area businesses by building awareness of the postdoctoral resource - provide a benefit to participating organizations that they can cite in recruiting postdocs - provide a model of inter-organization collaboration - develop long-term relationships between federal laboratories and Washington area businesses and organizations We expect 400 – 500 job-seeking postdocs to participate in this year's career fair along with 30-40 hiring organizations. For additional information, please visit the web site at http://postdoc-conference.ncet2backoffice.org/ The Office of Technology Partnerships and the Office of International and Academic Affairs will be hosting a NIST booth in the Career Fair portion of the event. This is an excellent opportunity to provide information on your laboratory and position openings over the next six months to the best scientific talent in the area. Please contact Susan Heller-Zeisler (szeisler@nist.gov) or Terry Lynch (terry.lynch@nist.gov) with any information or position descriptions you would like to have disseminated. Of course, this is also a great opportunity for NIST post docs to meet with top employers in the area and we would appreciate you making them aware of the event and providing an opportunity to attend.
NIST Contact: Susan Heller-Zeisler, 301-975-3111, szeisler@nist.gov

NIST MERCURY REDUCTION CAMPAIGN
The goal of the NIST Mercury Reduction Campaign is to remove all unneeded mercury from NIST facilities. We would like to minimize the potential for mercury spills, exposure to mercury, and releases to the environment. The toxicity of Mercury is well documented, particularly when exposure is by inhalation or absorption through the skin. A small amount of mercury can generate a significant airborne concentration, and mercury spills are fairly common at NIST - often due to broken thermometers or barometers. If a spill of mercury does occur, please contact the Safety, Health and Environment Division at x5818 or Fire Protection Services at x2222 for the proper clean up and disposal of the mercury. Please turn in any unneeded mercury or mercury-containing equipment for disposal/recycling to the Safety, Health and Environment Division. A pick up request can be prepared and submitted at: http://www-i.nist.gov/admin/ohsd/chemwast.htm. Call Mike Blackmon at x5822 with any questions. For information on mercury-free thermometers, please contact Dawn Cross in the Process Measurements Division at x4822.
NIST Contact: Mike Blackmon, 301-975-5822, blackmon@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: . ., ., .

PUBLICATIONS PRINTING DEADLINE AUGUST 14, 2009
August 14 is the last day in FY 2009 to submit materials using FY 2009 funds to the Electronic Information and Publications Group (EIPG) for printing at the Department of Commerce or Government Printing Office. To assure timely processing, bring your Editorial Review Board-approved document or administrative printing job and appropriate paperwork to the EIPG office by close of business on Friday, August 14, 2009. The office is located on the mezzanine floor of the NIST Research Library in the Administration Building, Room E220. Questions? Ilse Putman, x2780 or Barbara Silcox, x2146.
NIST Contact: Ilse Putman, 301-975-2780, ilse.putman@nist.gov

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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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