Office of Electronic Commerce
in Scientific and Engineering Data

Overview   |   Program Directions   |   Major Technical Highlights

Overview

Program Directions

• WWW Dissemination of Information. This Office is responsible for PL world wide web (WWW) pages at physics.nist.gov. We produce material for WWW publication, encourage and support the production of material by others, and assure the high quality of disseminated information. We are also engaged with PL Divisions and the NIST Standard Reference Data Program in developing physical reference databases for WWW dissemination. We design and develop effective WWW database interfaces to facilitate access to the data.

  We began providing information to the public in June 1994. We provide a wide array of information ranging from physical reference data to staff and organization lists, technical activities, publication lists, research and calibration facilities, and news and general interest items. In a recent month, there were over 900,000 requests for web pages from the Gaithersburg server (over half from our databases), and nearly 6 million requests for web pages from all Physics Laboratory servers (including Boulder and nist.time.gov).

Major Technical Highlights

• New "Look and Feel" for PL's Web Pages. The entire PL website has been and will continue to be modified to comply with legally enforced accessibility standards for the disabled as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. These modifications will allow those with sight disabilities to easily navigate and obtain information from our website. In addition, all of the top level pages (including Division pages and some Group pages) have been redesigned with a new graphical interface in order to meet the "One Face of NIST" criteria. This design change will continue as pages are added or updated. (G. Wiersma, K. Olsen, and R. Dragoset)

• Units Markup Language (UnitsML). This Office has started a collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and EEEL to develop an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) schema for encoding measurement units and uncertainty in XML. Adoption of this schema will allow for the unambiguous exchange of numerical data over the World Wide Web. In addition, we will be collaborating with ITL to create a NIST registry containing SI and non-SI unit information. (R. Dragoset and B. Taylor, with M. McLay [EEEL])

  

• Photoionization of CO₂ Database. The study of CO₂ photoionization has historically attracted much attention due to the importance of the ionization of CO₂ in the photophysics of planetary atmospheres, including the Earth's atmosphere. Additionally, CO₂ is an integral part of the carbon cycle for plant life and, as a consequence, the photochemistry and photophysics of this molecule has been the subject of considerable interest by a number of scientists over the last several decades. In collaboration with the Optical Technology Division, the vibrational branching ratios and asymmetry parameters in the photoionization of CO₂ in the region between 650 Å and 840 Å have been made available in an online database [physics.nist.gov/CO2]. (D. Schwab, R. Dragoset, and A. Parr)

• Diatomic Calculations: Equations and Theory. In collaboration with the Optical Technology Division, NBS Monograph 115, "The Calculation of Rotational Energy Levels and Rotational Line Intensities in Diatomic Molecules" (June 1970), a frequently referenced document, has now been made available on the web. Procedures are described in this pedagogical monograph for making quantum mechanical calculations of rotational energy levels and rotational line intensities in diatomic molecules [physics.nist.gov/DiatomicCalculations]. (G. Wiersma and J. Hougen)

• Database Updates. In collaboration with the Atomic Physics Division, two online databases were updated: (i) the Electron-Impact Ionization Cross Section Database (new theoretical data along with relevant references were added for the following ions: H₃O⁺, CH₂⁺, CH₃⁺, CH₄⁺, C₂H₂⁺, C₂H₄⁺, and C₂H₆⁺) [physics.nist.gov/ionxsec]; and (ii) the Searchable Bibliography on the Constants (288 entries were added) [physics.nist.gov/constantsbib]. (A. Kishore, K. Olsen, Y.-K. Kim, G. Wiersma, and P. Mohr).