T he National Bureau of Standards' was established by an act of Congress on March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote public safety. The Bureau's technical work is performed by the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, and the Institute for Materials Science and Engineering. The National Measurement Laboratory Provides the national system of physical and chemical measurement; coordinates the system with measurement systems of other nations and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical and chemical measurement throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce; provides advisory and research services to other Government agencies; conducts physical and chemical research; develops, produces, and distributes Standard Reference Materials; and provides calibration services. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: The National Engineering Laboratory Provides technology and technical services to the public and private sectors to address national needs and to solve national problems; conducts research in engineering and applied science in support of these efforts; builds and maintains competence in the necessary disciplines required to carry out this research and technical service; develops engineering data and measurement capabilities; provides engineering measurement traceability services; develops test methods and proposes engineering standards and code changes; develops and proposes new engineering practices; and develops and improves mechanisms to transfer results of its research to the ultimate user. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: The Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology The Institute for Materials Science and Engineering Conducts research and provides measurements, data, standards, reference materials, quantitative understanding and other technical information fundamental to the processing, structure, properties and performance of materials; addresses the scientific basis for new advanced materials technologies; plans research around cross-country scientific themes such as nondestructive evaluation and phase diagram development; oversees Bureau-wide technical programs in nuclear reactor radiation research and nondestructive evaluation; and broadly disseminates generic technical information resulting from its programs. The Institute consists of the following Divisions: Basic Standards2 • Radiation Research • Analytical Chemistry • Applied Mathematics • Electronics and Electrical • Manufacturing Engineering • Chemical Engineering2 • Programming Science and Technology • Computer Systems Engineering Ceramics • Fracture and Deformation 3 • Polymers • Metallurgy • Reactor Radiation 'Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, MD, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Some divisions within the center are located at Boulder, CO 80303. ocated at Boulder, CO, with some elements at Gaithersburg, MD. Volume 91 of the National Bureau of Standards The Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Standards features advances in measurement methodology and analyses consistent with the NBS responsibility as the nation's measurement science laboratory. It includes reports on instrumentation for making accurate and precise measurements in fields of physical science and engineering, as well as the mathematical models of phenomena which enable the predictive determination of information in regions where measurements may be absent. Papers on critical data, calibration techniques, quality assurance programs, and well-characterized reference materials reflect NBS programs in these areas. Special issues of the Journal are devoted to invited papers in a particular field of measurement science. Occasional survey articles and conference reports appear on topics related to the Bureau's technical and scientific programs. ISSN 0160-1741 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 63-37059 Issued six times a year. Annual subscriptions: domestic $17.00; foreign $21.25. Single copy, $3.00 domestic; $3.75 foreign. United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1986 Order all publications from the Superintendent of Documents The Secretary of Commerce has determined that the publication of the periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required by law of the Department. Use of funds for printing this periodical has been approved by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget through October 1, 1987. |