WWW Dissemination of Information

INTENDED OUTCOME AND BACKGROUND

The Office of Electronic Commerce in Scientific and Engineering Data (ECSED) is responsible for the Physics Laboratory (PL) World Wide Web pages at http://physics.nist.gov.

We produce material for Web publication, encourage and support the production of material by others, and ensure the high quality of disseminated information. We are also engaged with PL Divisions and the Measurement Services Division of Technology Services in developing physical reference databases for Web dissemination. We design and develop effective Web database interfaces to facilitate access to the data, providing data in multiple formats suitable for customer needs.

Since June 1994, we have provided a wide array of information ranging from physical reference data, technical activities, research and calibration facilities, technical contacts, publication lists, general interest, and news items. For the most recent six months, there was an average of nearly 2 million requests for web pages per month from the Gaithersburg server, over half coming from about 30 online databases containing physical reference data. A complete list of our databases is available at http://physics.nist.gov/data.

Recent work includes the development of new (1–4) and updated (5–11) Web databases:

1. Atomic Energy Levels and Wavelengths Bibliographic Database
2. NLTE4 Plasma Population Kinetics Database
3. SAHA Plasma Population Kinetics Database
4. FLYCHK Collisional-Radiative Code
5. Fundamental Physical Constants
6. Searchable Bibliography on the Constants
7. Atomic Spectra Database
8. Energy Levels of Hydrogen and Deuterium
9. Atomic Transition Probabilities Bibliographic Database
10. Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database
11. X-ray Transition Energies

Accomplishments

• Units Markup Language

  We have continued to develop an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema for encoding scientific measurement units. This includes initiating an OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) UnitsML Technical Committee to finalize the development of the UnitsML schema. Adoption as a standard will allow for the unambiguous exchange of numerical data over the Internet.
  
  To complement the UnitsML schema, we are in the process of developing a database (UnitsDB) containing detailed information on both SI and non-SI scientific units. We anticipate UnitsDB will be used by our customers to download industry-specific dictionaries of scientific units, using a Web Services interface.
  
  We are also planning to develop a general ontology to describe the relationship between measurement quantities independent of any specific system of units. These activities are supported in part by the NIST Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications (SIMA) program.

  CONTACT: Dr. Robert Dragoset (301) 975-3718 robert.dragoset@nist.gov

  
  
  

• Support for Publication of the DLMF

  Abramowitz and Stegun’s Handbook of Mathematical Functions (with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables) was first published by the National Bureau of Standards in 1964. It remains a technical bestseller and is among the most widely cited of all math reference compendia. But the Handbook is increasingly out of date, especially its numerical tables which account for over half its length. It also lacks many recent developments in the theory and computation of functions that find essential use in physics and other sciences.
  
  A project is underway at NIST to develop a replacement that will become a major resource of math reference data for special functions and their applications. The new Digital Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF) will appear in a hardcover edition and as a free electronic publication on the Web, at http://dlmf.nist.gov/. The completed hardcover edition will be over 1000 pages in length and is scheduled to be printed in 2008.
  
  We provided support to the development of the DLMF. This assignment entailed electronic editing of existing chapters with extensive handwritten corrections, and adding new sections from handwritten text. We began working on the DLMF in August 2003 (providing up to 40 % of one staff person per year) and ultimately contributed to all 37 of its chapters.

  CONTACT: Dr. Robert Dragoset (301) 975-3718 robert.dragoset@nist.gov

  
  
  

• New Capabilities for On-Line Databases

  • Atomic Transition Probability Bibliographic Database
  The NIST Atomic Transition Probability Bibliographic Database (http://physics. nist.gov/fvalbib) has been available online since 1994, and was one of Physics Laboratory’s first physical reference databases available on the Web. This database contains references to publications that include numerical data, comments, and reviews on atomic transition probabilities (oscillator strengths, line strengths, or radiative lifetimes). The initial database contained approximately 2300 references. The current database now contains 7465 references, dating from 1914 through 2007.
  
  
  • Atomic Energy Levels and Spectral Bibliographic Database
  We recently collaborated with Physics Laboratory’s Atomic Spectroscopy Data Center to release an on-line version of the NIST Atomic Energy Levels and Spectra Bibliographic Database (http://physics. nist.gov/elevbib). Its references pertain to atomic structure and spectra that arise from interactions or excitations involving electrons in the outer shells of free atoms and atomic ions, or from inner shell excitations corresponding to frequencies up to the soft x-ray range. This interactive database allows access to references on atomic energy levels and wavelengths. Preference is given to experimental papers. The database contains approximately 10880 references, dating from 1892 through 2007.
  
  
  • Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database
  The NIST Atomic Spectroscopy Data Center also maintains an additional bibliographic database that contains references to publications that include numerical data, general information, comments, and reviews on atomic line broadening and shifts (http://physics.nist.gov/linebrbib). The NIST Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database, on-line since 1998, has been updated to contain 3666 references, dating from 1961 through 2007.
  
  These bibliographic databases have a wide customer base including major corporations, government laboratories, and universities. The users of these databases include scientific researchers working in atomic physics, laser physics, lighting, semiconductor fabrication, material processing, biophysics, thermonuclear fusion, astrop hysics, and chemistry.

  CONTACT: Mrs. Karen Olsen (301) 975-3286 karen.olsen@nist.gov

"Technical Activities  2005-2007" - Table of Contents