Dir2007 en

Bureau International des Poids et Mesures
Director’s Report on the

Activity and Management
of the International Bureau
of Weights and Measures
(1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007)
Note on the use of the English text
To make its work more widely accessible the

International Committee for Weights and
Measures publishes an English version of these
reports.
Readers should note that the official record is
always that of the French text. This must be
used when an authoritative reference is required
or when there is doubt about the interpretation of
the text.
167
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Member States and Associates of the General Conference 173

The BIPM and the Metre Convention 175
Staff of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures 179
Director’s Report on the Activity and Management of the International

Bureau of Weights and Measures (1 July 2006 – 30 June 2007) 181
1 Introduction 183
1.1 General introduction and summary of the scientific work 183
1.2 The International System of Units (SI) 183
1.3 The CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) 184
1.4 Member States and Associates 185
1.5 NMI Directors’ Meeting 185
1.6 Meeting of the CIPM 185
1.7 The General Conference on Weights and Measures 186
1.8 The Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations
and the BIPM (JCRB) 187
1.9 The Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM) 187
1.10 The Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine
(JCTLM) 188
1.11 Liaison with intergovernmental organizations and international
bodies 188
1.12 World Metrology Day (WMD) 189
1.13 BIPM staff commissions 190
1.14 Science at the BIPM 191
1.15 Publications, lectures and travel of the Director 199
1.15.1 External publications 199
1.15.2 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations,
visits) 199
1.16 Activities of the Director related to external organizations 201
2 Mass 201
2.1 Calibrations 201
2.1.1 Certificates 201
2.1.2 Quality Management System 202
2.2 Balances to support development programmes 202
2.3 Water vapour sorption on silicon spheres 203
168 Director’s Report 2007
2.4 International Avogadro Coordination project 204

2.5 Humidity generator 205
2.6 Pt-Ir 1 kg sorption artefacts 205
2.7 Glove box 206
2.8 Hydrostatic weighing apparatus 206
2.9 Pressure 207
2.10 Other work 208
2.10.1 Collaboration with European Space Agency on LISA
programme 208
2.10.2 G, Torsion balance experiment 208
2.11 Publications, lectures, travel: Mass section 208
2.11.2 BIPM report 209
2.11.3 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits,
training) 209
2.12 Activities related to the work of Consultative Committees 210
2.13 Visitors to the Mass section 210
2.14 Student to the Mass section 211
3 Time, Frequency and Gravimetry 212

3.1 International Atomic Time (TAI) and Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC) 212
3.2 Algorithms for time scales 212
3.2.1 EAL stability 212
3.2.2 TAI accuracy 213
3.2.3 Independent atomic time scales 213
3.3 Primary frequency standards and secondary representations of the
second 214
3.4 Time links 214
3.4.1 Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation
Satellite System (GLONASS) code measurements 215
3.4.2 Phase and code measurements from geodetic-type
receivers 215
3.4.3 Two-way time transfer 216
3.4.4 Uncertainties of TAI time links 216
3.4.5 Calibration of TAI time links 216
3.5 Key comparisons 217
3.6 Pulsars 217
3.7 Space-time references 217
3.8 Comb development 218
3.9 BIPM key comparison BIPM.L-K11 218
3.10 Calibration and measurement service 219
Director’s Report 2007 169
3.11 Iodine cells 219

3.12 Gravimeter FG5-108 220
3.13 Gravimetry, theoretical investigations 221
3.13.1 Truncation tests of the results of g measurements 221
3.13.2 Correction related to the distortion due to diffraction
effects 221
3.13.3 Correction related to the finite speed of light 222
3.14 The 7th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters,
ICAG-2005 222
3.15 Preliminary study on the BIPM watt balance project in view of
gravimetry 222
3.16 Publications, lectures, travel: Time, Frequency and Gravimetry
section 222
3.16.2 BIPM publications 223
visits) 223
3.17 Activities related to external organizations 226
3.19 Visitors to the Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section 228
3.20 Guest workers 229
4 Electricity 230
4.1 Electrical potential: Josephson effect 230
4.1.1 Josephson array measurements 230
4.1.2 Zener diode measurements 231
4.2 Electrical resistance and impedance 231
4.2.1 DC resistance and quantum Hall effect 231
4.2.2 Maintenance of a reference of capacitance 232
4.3 Time-series analysis of measurement results 233
4.4 Thermometry 234
4.5 BIPM ongoing key comparisons in electricity 234
4.6 Calibrations 236
4.7 Publications, lectures, travel: Electricity section 236
4.7.2 BIPM reports 237
visits) 238
4.10 Visitors to the Electricity section 240
5 Ionizing Radiation 241

5.1 X- and γ-rays 241
5.1.1 Dosimetry standards and equipment 241
5.1.2 Dosimetry comparisons 244
5.1.3 Calibration of national standards for dosimetry 244
5.2 Radionuclides 245
5.2.1 Comparison of activity measurements of a 55Fe
solution 245
5.2.2 International Reference System (SIR) for gamma-ray
emitting radionuclides 246
5.2.3 Gamma spectrometry 248
5.3 Publications, lectures, travel: Ionizing Radiation section 248
5.3.2 BIPM reports 249
visits) 249
5.6 Visitors to the Ionizing Radiation section 253
5.7 Guest workers 253
6 Chemistry 254
6.1 Gas metrology programme 254
6.1.1 Ozone photometer comparison programme 254
6.1.2 Primary NO2 gas standard facility 255
6.1.3 NO gas standard comparison facility 256
6.2 Organic analysis programme 257
6.2.1 Method development 257
6.2.2 Coordination of CCQM-P20 and development of
CCQM-K55 258
6.3 Activities related to the JCTLM 259
6.5 CCQM comparisons coordinated by the BIPM 260
6.7 Publications, lectures, travel: Chemistry section 261
visits) 261
6.8 Visitors to the Chemistry section 263
6.9 Guest worker 264
7 Special projects 264

7.1 Calculable capacitor 264
7.2 Watt balance 265
7.3 Publications, lectures, travel: Special projects 267
visits) 268
7.4 Visitors: Special projects 268
7.5 Student: Special projects 269
8 The BIPM key comparison database, KCDB 269

8.1 Visits to the KCDB website 269
8.2 Redesign of the KCDB website 270
8.3 A new search engine on the KCDB website 271
8.4 Content of the KCDB 273
8.4.1 Key and supplementary comparisons 273
8.4.2 Calibration and Measurements Capabilities – CMCs 274
8.5 Publicity and KCDB Newsletters 274
8.6 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits):
KCDB 275
8.9 Visitors to the KCDB 276
9 The Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations and the

BIPM, JCRB 277
9.1 BMC versus CMC 277
9.2 Criteria for the selection of peer-reviewers for NMIs 277
9.3 Monitoring CMC changes after the results of comparisons
become available 278
9.4 JCDCMAS 278
9.5 Publications, lectures, travel: JCRB 279
9.5.1 New CIPM MRA documents 279
9.5.2 Revised CIPM MRA documents 279
visits) 280
9.7 Visitors to the JCRB 281
10 Quality System and liaisons with ISO and ILAC, VIM 282
10.1 The BIPM's Quality System 282
10.2 Liaison with ISO and ILAC 282
10.3 JCGM WG 2: VIM 282

10.4 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits) 283
11 Publications and Information Technology 283

11.1 Reports of the CIPM and Consultative Committees 283
11.2 Metrologia 284
11.3 Information Technology 285
11.4 The BIPM website 286
11.5 The BIPM metrology portal 287
11.6 Travel (conferences and visits): Publications and Information
Technology section 287
12 Meetings and lectures at the BIPM 288

12.1 Meetings 288
12.2 External Seminars 289
12.3 Internal Seminars 289
13 Certificates and Notes of study 290
14 Finance, administration and general services 290

14.1 Accounts 290
14.2 Staff 291
14.2.1 Appointments 291
14.2.2 Promotions and change of grade 291
14.2.3 Departures 292
14.3 Buildings 292
14.3.1 Grand Pavillon 292
14.3.2 Petit Pavillon 293
14.3.3 Observatoire 293
14.3.4 Ionizing Radiation building 293
14.3.5 Nouveau Pavillon 293
14.3.6 Pavillon du Mail 293
14.3.7 Outbuildings and park 293
14.4 Travel: Finance, administration and general services section 294
15 Secretariat 294
16 Workshop and site maintenance 295
List of acronyms used in the present volume 297

173
MEMBER STATES AND

ASSOCIATES OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
as of 30 June 2007
Member States
Argentina Korea (Dem. People's Rep. of)

Australia Korea (Rep. of)
Austria Malaysia
Belgium Mexico
Brazil Netherlands
Bulgaria New Zealand
Cameroon Norway
Canada Pakistan
Chile Poland
China Portugal
Czech Republic Romania
Denmark Russian Federation
Dominican Republic Serbia and Montenegro
Egypt Singapore
Finland Slovakia
France South Africa
Germany Spain
Greece Sweden
Hungary Switzerland
India Thailand
Indonesia Turkey
Iran (Islamic Rep. of) United Kingdom
Ireland United States
Israel Uruguay
Italy Venezuela
Japan
Associates of the General Confer ence
Belarus Kenya
CARICOM Latvia
Chinese Taipei Lithuania
Costa Rica Macedonia (the FYR of)
Croatia Malta
Cuba Moldova
Ecuador Panama
Estonia Philippines
Hong Kong, China Slovenia
Jamaica Ukraine
Kazakhstan Viet Nam
175
THE BIPM AND

THE METRE CONVENTION
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) was set up by

the Metre Convention signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by seventeen States
during the final session of the diplomatic Conference of the Metre. This
Convention was amended in 1921.
The BIPM has its headquarters near Paris, in the grounds (43 520 m2) of the
Pavillon de Breteuil (Parc de Saint-Cloud) placed at its disposal by the
French Government; its upkeep is financed jointly by the Member States.
The task of the BIPM is to ensure worldwide unification of measurements;
its function is thus to:
• establish fundamental standards and scales for the measurement of the
principal physical quantities and maintain the international prototypes;
• carry out comparisons of national and international standards;
• ensure the coordination of corresponding measurement techniques;
• carry out and coordinate measurements of the fundamental physical
constants relevant to these activities.
The BIPM operates under the exclusive supervision of the International
Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) which itself comes under the
authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) and
reports to it on the work accomplished by the BIPM.
Delegates from all Member States attend the General Conference which, at
present, meets every four years. The function of these meetings is to:
• discuss and initiate the arrangements required to ensure the propagation
and improvement of the International System of Units (SI), which is the
modern form of the metric system;
• confirm the results of new fundamental metrological determinations
and various scientific resolutions of international scope;
• take all major decisions concerning the finance, organization and
development of the BIPM.
The CIPM has eighteen members each from a different State: at present, it
meets every year. The officers of this committee present an annual report on
the administrative and financial position of the BIPM to the Governments of
the Member States. The principal task of the CIPM is to ensure worldwide
uniformity in units of measurement. It does this by direct action or by

submitting proposals to the CGPM.
The activities of the BIPM, which in the beginning were limited to
measurements of length and mass, and to metrological studies in relation to
these quantities, have been extended to standards of measurement of
electricity (1927), photometry and radiometry (1937), ionizing radiation
(1960), time scales (1988) and to chemistry (2000). To this end the original
laboratories, built in 1876 -1878, were enlarged in 1929; new buildings
were constructed in 1963-1964 for the ionizing radiation laboratories, in
1984 for the laser work and in 1988 for a library and offices. In 2001 a new
building for the workshop, offices and meeting rooms was opened.
Some forty-five physicists and technicians work in the BIPM laboratories.
They mainly conduct metrological research, international comparisons of
realizations of units and calibrations of standards. An annual report, the
Director’s Report on the Activity and Management of the International
Bureau of Weights and Measures, gives details of the work in progress.
Following the extension of the work entrusted to the BIPM in 1927, the
CIPM has set up bodies, known as Consultative Committees, whose
function is to provide it with information on matters that it refers to them for
study and advice. These Consultative Committees, which may form
temporary or permanent working groups to study special topics, are
responsible for coordinating the international work carried out in their
respective fields and for proposing recommendations to the CIPM
concerning units.
The Consultative Committees have common regulations (BIPM Proc.-Verb.
Com. Int. Poids et Mesures, 1963, 31, 97). They meet at irregular intervals.
The president of each Consultative Committee is designated by the CIPM
and is normally a member of the CIPM. The members of the Consultative
Committees are metrology laboratories and specialized institutes, agreed by
the CIPM, which send delegates of their choice. In addition, there are
individual members appointed by the CIPM, and a representative of the
BIPM (Criteria for membership of Consultative Committees, BIPM Proc.-
Verb. Com. Int. Poids et Mesures, 1996, 64, 124). At present, there are ten
such committees:
1. The Consultative Committee for Electricity and Magnetism (CCEM),
new name given in 1997 to the Consultative Committee for Electricity
(CCE) set up in 1927.
2. The Consultative Committee for Photometry and Radiometry (CCPR),

new name given in 1971 to the Consultative Committee for
Photometry (CCP) set up in 1933 (between 1930 and 1933 the CCE
dealt with matters concerning photometry).
3. The Consultative Committee for Thermometry (CCT), set up in 1937.
4. The Consultative Committee for Length (CCL), new name given in
1997 to the Consultative Committee for the Definition of the Metre
(CCDM), set up in 1952.
5. The Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency (CCTF), new
name given in 1997 to the Consultative Committee for the Definition
of the Second (CCDS) set up in 1956.
6. The Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation (CCRI), new name
given in 1997 to the Consultative Committee for Standards of Ionizing
Radiation (CCEMRI) set up in 1958 (in 1969 this committee
established four sections: Section I (X- and γ-rays, electrons),
Section II (Measurement of radionuclides), Section III (Neutron
measurements), Section IV (α-energy standards); in 1975 this last
section was dissolved and Section II was made responsible for its field
of activity).
7. The Consultative Committee for Units (CCU), set up in 1964 (this
committee replaced the “Commission for the System of Units” set up
by the CIPM in 1954).
8. The Consultative Committee for Mass and Related Quantities (CCM),
set up in 1980.
9. The Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance: Metrology in
chemistry (CCQM), set up in 1993.
10. The Consultative Committee for Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibration
(CCAUV), set up un 1999.
The proceedings of the General Conference and the CIPM are published by
the BIPM in the following series:
• Report of the meeting of the General Conference on Weights and
Measures;
• Report of the meeting of the International Committee for Weights and
Measures.
The CIPM decided in 2003 that the reports of meetings of the Consultative
Committees should no longer be printed, but would be placed on the BIPM
website, in their original language.
The BIPM also publishes monographs on special metrological subjects and,

under the title The International System of Units (SI), a brochure,
periodically updated, in which are collected all the decisions and
recommendations concerning units.
The collection of the Travaux et Mémoires du Bureau International des
Poids et Mesures (22 volumes published between 1881 and 1966) and the
Recueil de Travaux du Bureau International des Poids et Mesures
(11 volumes published between 1966 and 1988) ceased by a decision of the
CIPM.
The scientific work of the BIPM is published in the open scientific literature
and an annual list of publications appears in the Director’s Report on the
Activity and Management of the International Bureau of Weights and
Measures.
Since 1965 Metrologia, an international journal published under the
auspices of the CIPM, has printed articles dealing with scientific metrology,
improvements in methods of measurement, work on standards and units, as
well as reports concerning the activities, decisions and recommendations of
the various bodies created under the Metre Convention.
179
STAFF OF THE
INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
on 30 June 2007
Director: Prof. A.J. Wallard
Mass: Dr R.S. Davis

Ms P. Barat, Dr H. Fang, Mrs C. Goyon-Taillade, Mr A. Picard
Time, frequency and gravimetry: Dr E.F. Arias

Mr R. Felder, Dr Z. Jiang, Mrs H. Konaté, Mr J. Labot, Dr W. Lewandowski,
Dr G. Petit, Dr L. Robertsson, Mr G. Thibaudeau, Mr L. Tisserand,
Dr L.F. Vitushkin
Electricity: Dr T.J. Witt

Dr M. Stock1
Mr R. Chayramy, Dr N. Fletcher, Mr R. Goebel, Mr A. Jaouen, Mr S. Solve
Ionizing radiation: Dr P.J. Allisy-Roberts

Dr D.T. Burns, Mr S. Courte, Mrs C. Kessler, Dr C. Michotte, Mr M. Nonis,
Dr S. Picard, Dr G. Ratel, Mr P. Roger
Chemistry: Dr R.I. Wielgosz

Ms A. Daireaux, Mr E. Flores Jardines, Dr R. Josephs, Mr P. Moussay,
Dr J. Viallon, Dr S. Westwood
Publications and Information technology: Dr J. Williams

Mr L. Le Mée, Dr J.R. Miles
BIPM key comparison database: Dr C. Thomas2

Dr S. Maniguet
Quality systems, ISO and ILAC liaison: Dr R. Köhler

Secretariat: Mrs F. Joly

Mrs C. Fellag-Ariouet, Mrs D. Le Coz2, Mrs G. Négadi, Mrs J. Varenne
Finance, administration and general services: Mrs B. Perent

Mr F. Ausset, Mr R. Cèbe, Mrs D. Etter, Mrs M.-J. Martin, Mrs D. Saillard2
Caretakers: Mr and Mrs Dominguez3, Mr and Mrs Neves3

Housekeepers: Mrs A. Da Ponte, Mrs M.-J. Fernandes
Gardeners: Mr C. Dias-Nunes, Mr A. Zongo3
Workshop and site maintenance: Mr J. Sanjaime

Workshop: Mr F. Boyer, Mr M. de Carvalho, Mr S. Segura, Mr B. Vincent
Site maintenance: Mr P. Benoit, Mr P. Lemartrier
Emeritus directors: Prof. P. Giacomo, Dr T.J. Quinn
_______________
1 Head of special projects.

2 Also Publications.
3 Also site maintenance.
Director’s Report
on the Activity and Management
of the International Bureau
of Weights and Measures
(1 July 2006 − 30 June 2007)
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General introduction and summary of scientific work

The BIPM has had an eventful year. We have made significant progress in a
number of scientific projects to improve and enhance our international
reference facilities and the provision of services such as International Atomic
Time (TAI). At the same time, there have been a large number of meetings of
Consultative Committees (CCs), working groups and workshops. We have
maintained our liaison with intergovernmental organizations and
international bodies and have consolidated a number of joint activities,
notably with the aim of increasing awareness and appreciation of the
International System of Units (SI) and the associated concepts of traceability
and uncertainty in measurement. This sets a sound basis for future work and
collaboration, and should open up opportunities for National Metrology
Institutes (NMIs) to respond through similar activities at the national level.
This annual report summarises a number of the main activities carried out at
the BIPM and then goes on to give more detail of the scientific work.
1.2 The International System of Units (SI)

During the past few months there have been several scientific developments
and meetings on possible redefinitions of base units of the SI, stimulated by
the progress on a number of experiments which could lead to a redefinition
of the kilogram. New results from the watt balance experiments and
encouraging progress on the International Avogadro Coordination project
now seem likely to provide an opportunity for the General Conference on
Weights and Measures (CGPM) to take decisions on a redefinition of the
kilogram in 2011.
Stimulated by, and directly linked to the kilogram redefinition, there is also
likely to be a simultaneous redefinition of the base units for electric current,
and amount of substance. A redefinition of the kelvin is also likely, based on
a fixed value of the Boltzmann constant k. The CIPM has encouraged CCs to
consider the effects of these redefinitions and a number of CCs have set up
specific working groups to discuss these issues and to develop a strategy for
their implementation. As the redefinitions place more of the base units of the
SI on fixed values of fundamental constants of physics, there will be a need
for guidance on how to realize them in practice. The example being followed
is that of the redefinition of the metre in 1983 based on a fixed value for the
speed of light in vacuum. The approach adopted in this case was the creation
of a Mise en pratique, or set of instructions and recommendations for a
practical and universally followed way of realizing the definition. The Mise
en pratique for the metre has stood the test of time and has been modified
with the advent of new measurements, notably of laser-based measurement
standards. The various CCs are following this approach and are preparing
drafts to be finalized in the coming few years.
The Consultative Committee for Mass and Related Quantities (CCM) held a
special meeting with representatives of the electrical community in February
2007. This made considerable progress towards a common position, which
would allow the kilogram to be redefined in such a way (by fixing the value
of the Planck constant, h) that the present representations of the volt and ohm
would become genuine SI realizations firmly based on fundamental
constants, rather than be based on conventional values.
Several communities came together at the meeting of the Consultative
Committee for Units (CCU) in June 2007 and reached the conclusion that a
kilogram redefinition based on the Planck constant was to be preferred to one
based on the Avogadro constant, NA. The CCU agreed with the Consultative
Committee for Electricity and Magnetism (CCEM) that a definition of the
ampere should be based on a fixed value of the elementary charge, e. The
thermometry community reported that they expected new results for the
Boltzmann constant in the next few years, which will allow a redefinition of
the kelvin in 2011.
It is highly unlikely that these redefinitions will influence the vast majority of
measurements made for industrial or scientific purposes; they will enhance
the SI and bring benefits to metrologists and to the fundamental constant
community through, in general, a reduction in uncertainties associated with
the CODATA values. The CIPM and the CCs nevertheless believe that there
needs to be an awareness campaign in the scientific and the industrial
measurement community in order to alert them to these changes and their
implications. Much of this effort will fall to NMIs at a national level.
1.3 The CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)

The CIPM MRA continues to grow in strength as more new or revised
calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) are entered into the BIPM
key comparison database (KCDB). The KCDB itself has also been enhanced
so as to make it easier to search for data, using a semantic search facility and
to interpret text-based inquiries. These facilities will make it easier for
assessors of accredited laboratories to check the details of their traceability to
national realizations of the SI and to access the graphs of equivalence. The
BIPM is taking every opportunity to promote the new facility through
presentations, live demonstrations and the KCDB Newsletter.
1.4 Member States and Associates

The number of Member States which are signatories to the Metre Convention
remains static at 51. However, there has been a rise in the number of
Associate States and Economies of the General Conference to 22, with the
accession of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and
Moldova during the year. The BIPM is in touch with a number of other
States which have declared their intention to become Associates as well as
with some current Associates which are considering becoming Member
States.
1.5 NMI Directors’ Meeting

Over 70 Directors from NMIs in Member States and from Associate States
and Economies of the General Conference met at the BIPM in October 2006.
The first day of the meeting focused on the preparations for the 2007 General
Conference and contained a number of presentations, which set out the main
themes of the CIPM report on National and International Needs in
Metrology (the “Kaarls report”) and which outlined the BIPM programme of
work. The meeting concluded with a summary of the state of play of the
potential redefinitions of a number of SI units.
1.6 Meeting of the CIPM

The 95th meeting of the CIPM was held in October 2006. The main business
items were the preparations for the 2007 General Conference, finalisation of
the BIPM programme of work and budget for 2009-2012, the Convocation
and the Resolutions to be presented to the General Conference. In addition
there were the usual reports from Presidents of Consultative Committees.
The CIPM was pleased to note that the 8th edition of the SI Brochure was
launched on World Metrology Day 2006. For the first time, the Brochure was
complemented by two summaries for widespread distribution. All three

documents can be downloaded from the BIPM website.
The CIPM also approved the use of a logo, in line with the recommendations
of the Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations and the
BIPM (JCRB) to be used by NMIs and Designated Institutes (DIs) that are
signatories to the CIPM MRA. The aim is to make use of this logo so as to
aid recognition of certificates which are issued within the CIPM MRA and
which are, therefore, accepted by all other signatories.
The CIPM passed recommendations on the secondary representations of the
second and on coordination of the development of advanced time and
frequency transfer techniques.
1.7 The General Conference on Weights and Measures

The 23rd CGPM in November 2007 will be presented with a draft
programme of work for the BIPM for the period 2009-2012. We have
adopted a different style from previous draft programmes of work and will
present a structured approach to the justification and impact of the
programme, together with a clear statement of need for new activities and
projects. The programme of work was presented to NMI Directors at their
meeting in October 2006, and was then discussed by the CIPM in October
2006. The CIPM endorsed a programme of work that would require an
increase in the BIPM dotation of 15 % from 1 January 2009. The key
elements in the programme of work will enable the BIPM to continue its
current programme of work, to make faster progress with its watt balance and
other work in relation to the realization of the proposed redefinition of the
kilogram. The programme of work also reflects the increased importance of
optical clocks to TAI, and proposes work in support of key comparisons in
chemical metrology. The CIPM also discussed the proposal of the
Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation (CCRI), which strongly
endorsed (as it did again in May 2007) a new project at the BIPM to address
the needs of the dosimetry community based on high energy photons
generated by linear accelerators. However, the CIPM took the view that the
CGPM should be asked to support the start-up work for this project during
2009-2012 but that implementation would be deferred until the subsequent
period.
The Convocation of the General Conference contains twelve Draft
Resolutions which cover global trends in metrology, work in relation to the
proposed changes to definitions of some SI units and a number of policy

issues in relation to the operation of the Metre Convention. The Convocation
was sent to Member States in January 2007.
1.8 The Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations

and the BIPM (JCRB)
The JCRB met in October 2006 and May 2007. As always, the JCRB focuses
on ways to speed up the efficiency of the intra- and inter-Regional Metrology
Organization (RMO) reviews of Calibration and Measurement Capabilities
(CMCs), and to develop international confidence in the reviews of Quality
Systems by the RMOs. The October 2006 JCRB meeting finalized its review
of the use of a logo on calibration certificates issued by NMIs within the
framework of the CIPM MRA, and recommended the logo for acceptance to
the CIPM. It also accepted the positive recommendations in the report of a
special panel convened to study the Quality System of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, a signatory to the CIPM MRA. In May 2007, the
main topics were the evolution of a common definition, with the
accreditation community, of the term CMC, together with supporting notes
that would enable its widespread acceptance and implementation. The JCRB
also agreed on a recommendation to the CIPM on the criteria to be used in
the selection of peer-reviewers for Quality Systems at NMIs.
1.9 The Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM)

A major achievement of the year was the finalization of the 3rd edition of the
VIM – the International Vocabulary of Metrology, Basic and General
Concepts and Associated Terms. This edition changes the treatment of
measurement uncertainty from an error approach (sometimes called
“traditional approach” or “true value approach”) to the internationally
adopted “uncertainty approach” and therefore necessitated reconsideration of
some of the related concepts appearing in the 2nd edition of the VIM (1993).
It also took the opportunity of including more terms which were of value to
the chemical community. The “VIM 3” has been approved by all eight
partner bodies. The BIPM will adopt the agreed text and place it on the
BIPM website for access by the metrology community. The Working Group
on the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, the GUM, also finalized
its work on a supplement to the GUM which deals with Monte Carlo
methods. This has also been approved by all partner bodies and will also be
adopted by the BIPM and placed on our open website.
The meeting of the JCGM itself in December 2006 reviewed the JCGM
“Charter” and identified a number of priority topics for the working groups,
notably a study of uncertainty for use in conformity assessment.
1.10 The Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine

(JCTLM)
The Executive Committee of the JCTLM met in December 2006 and agreed
the timetables for the next round of nominations of higher order reference
materials and reference measurement procedures, and for nominations of
laboratory reference measurement procedures. The first list of reference
measurement services offered by laboratories was published on the JCTLM
website in June 2007.
The work of the Committee helps identify priorities for comparisons to be
carried out within the broad remit of the Consultative Committee for Amount
of Substance (CCQM) and the JCTLM framework. It is increasingly seen as
a model which could be used in collaborations with other intergovernmental
organizations and international bodies as the BIPM continues to develop
closer collaborations with them.
1.11 Liaison with intergovernmental organizations and international

bodies
BIPM's liaison work is a major part of our activity. In the last year we have
made progress on a number of fronts:
• Discussions are continuing with the World Meteorological Organization
(WMO) over their intention to become a signatory to the CIPM MRA.
Unlike the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the WMO does
not have its own laboratories and new arrangements need to be agreed so
that the WMO can participate fully. WMO has also agreed to collaborate
with the BIPM to arrange an international conference and workshop on
the role of metrology in the study and observation of climate change.
The meeting will probably be held in early 2009.
• BIPM representation on the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
• Further World Health Organization (WHO) collaboration in the work of
the CCQM and the JCTLM.
• The signing of an Agreement between the CIPM and the International

Commission on Illumination (CIE) which recognises the responsibilities
and roles of the two bodies and sets up formal coordination mechanisms.
These relate, in particular, to the need to ensure the SI traceability of
data from the CIE's work on measurements of light, optical radiation,
colour, optical properties of materials, photobiological and photo-
chemical quantities.
• Continued collaboration with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) and representation through BIPM's liaison status
on ISO CASCO and ISO REMCO as well as their membership of the
Joint Committee on Coordination of Assistance to Developing Countries
in Metrology, Accreditation and Standardization (JCDCMAS).
• As a result of the Common Statement and Declaration by the BIPM, the
International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) and the
International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) on the
relevance of various international agreements on metrology to trade,
legislation and standardization, collaboration with the ILAC has been
strengthened in several areas. In particular, the BIPM/ILAC Working
Group had made good progress on a common definition of calibration
and measurement capability (CMC) and on means of developing greater
confidence in the uncertainty and traceability claims of accredited
laboratories using the BIPM's key comparison database. The BIPM was
represented at the ILAC General Assembly as well as at the
Accreditation Issues Committee which held a meeting to discuss, and
recommend, the common CMC definition. Recognizing that much of
what the BIPM and ILAC work on the international level needs to be
reinforced at the regional level, the second meeting of the Regional
Metrology Organizations and the Regional Accreditation Bodies was
held in March 2007. It is the only forum in which the two sets of bodies
meet regularly and is helping to create stronger regional collaborations.
• Collaboration with the OIML is increasing. We have finalized a common
document on the importance of metrology and the arrangements for a
joint web portal on metrology which will present a general description of
what the two bodies do, with links to each organization’s web pages.
1.12 World Metrology Day (WMD)

The BIPM Director's message on 20 May, the anniversary of the signing of
the Metre Convention in 1875, proved to be more successful than ever
before. The theme, “Measurements in our environment”, attracted a huge

degree of attention from NMIs and other international bodies. Some
85 national events to mark WMD were held in 63 Member States and
Associates as well as in States which have, as yet, no formal links with the
BIPM. In partnership with the PTB and the NMISA for the basic version,
and in collaboration with other NMIs, some 32 versions, in 18 languages, of
a WMD poster were produced.
1.13 BIPM staff commissions

The BIPM Statute currently provide formally for four staff commissions,
although two others advise the Director on a staff loans fund and on
management of the medical insurance scheme.
The Commission for Information and Security had a broad remit to advise
the Director on a number of matters and is responsible for organizing the
annual staff meeting and elections of members of all the commissions.
However, with the establishment of a formal committee responsible for
health and safety at the BIPM, the role of the commission for Information
and Security has been reduced. During the year, the Director also launched a
review of the formal commissions so as to improve their effectiveness and
efficiency. The review's recommendations include the merger of the two
commissions concerned with the Staff Statute and salaries, and the remainder
of the work of the Information and Security Commission.
As mentioned in the 2005-2006 Director's Report, the BIPM has initiated a
review and up-dating of the Staff Statute. This has drawn heavily on the
advice of the Statute Commission. The review is still in progress and is a
major exercise which will result in a proposal to the CIPM for approval.
The Salaries Commission has maintained its regular reviews of the BIPM
staff salaries in relation to those of the Paris-based “coordinated
organizations” and the French public sector, and has been consulted on the
procedures for improving the effectiveness and value of the annual appraisal
of the staff.
The final formal commission is concerned with social affairs and has
maintained an active programme of events aimed at improving the
interactions between staff members through cultural visits and week-end
excursions.
The two remaining commissions have met when needed.
1.14 Science at the BIPM

Mass: Significant progress has been made in support of the International
Avogadro Coordination project (IAC). Our new Sartorius CCL 1007 balance
has been commissioned and is in almost constant operation. This balance,
which incorporates BIPM technology under a licensing agreement, operates
in vacuum, air or other non-reactive gases. Ultimately it will be used to
calibrate a 1 kg silicon sphere in vacuum with respect to a 1 kg prototype
maintained in ambient air. The transfer is made through a special set of
artefacts designed and manufactured at the BIPM. The BIPM has already
supplied an additional set of these artefacts to one NMI and will fulfill orders
from three additional NMIs in the near future.
The requirements for mass metrology within the IAC are in many important
ways similar to those of watt balance experiments. We recognize the need to
coordinate such activities within the BIPM, as well as throughout the world.
For this reason we suggested that the CCM create two Task Groups (TG)
within the CCM Working Group on Mass Standards. One TG will coordinate
work on the transfer of the mass unit from air to vacuum conditions, as well
as the maintenance of mass standards under vacuum or well-defined
atmospheres. The second TG will assist the BIPM in a re-examination of the
uncertainty chain leading to the international prototype of the kilogram. We
consider both TGs to be essential preparative steps to any of the proposed
redefinitions of the kilogram. The CCM implemented our suggestions at its
last meeting, in March 2007.
We continue our core activity, which is the calibration of national prototypes
for Member States and the calibration of 1 kg standards in stainless steel for
NMIs of Member States. Demand for these services was below the average,
but not unusual for a one-year period. The calibration service successfully
passed an external peer-review, as required by our Quality Management
System. As part of the review, the following measurement capabilities were
audited: comparison weighing, volume determination, determination of the
magnetic properties of mass standards, location of the centre of gravity of
mass standards. These services also provide an essential infrastructure for the
IAC and watt balance projects. Two examples of support are: volume
calibration of the special artefacts mentioned in the first paragraph, which is
essential to their use; internal calibrations of submultiples of the kilogram,
which was exploited to characterize the linearity of the Sartorius balance.
Finally, we have maintained our contact with the LISA team of the European
Space Agency (ESA). This year, the BIPM determined the magnetic
susceptibilities of three test masses that are being characterized for the LISA
test package.
Time, Frequency and Gravimetry: The international time scales TAI and
UTC are computed regularly and the results published monthly in Circular T,
which serves as a monthly update of key comparison CCTF-K001.UTC (the
re-named CCTF-K2001UTC). The stability of TAI, expressed in terms of an
Allan deviation, is estimated to be at or below 0.4 × 10−15 for averaging times
of one month. During the period of this report, eleven primary frequency
standards contributed to the improvement of the accuracy of TAI; this
included seven caesium fountains (IT CSF1, LNE-SYRTE FO1, LNE-
SYRTE FO2, LNE-SYRTE FOM, NIST-F1, NMIJ F1 and PTB CSF1). A
total correction of –2.4 × 10−15 has been applied throughout the year to
[f(EAL) – f(TAI)]. Since July 2005, the scale unit of TAI has been estimated
to match the SI second to about 1 × 10−15. The Section has worked closely
with the CCTF Working Group on Primary Frequency Standards on
improving the accuracy of TAI. Within the activities of this working group, a
workshop was held in June with the participation of laboratories involved in
the development and operation of primary frequency standards and BIPM
staff.
The computation of time links using common-views of GPS satellites has
been replaced by the GPS all-in-view method in the regular calculation of the
time scales. Clock comparisons based on GPS phase and code observations
have been studied for future application in the calculation of TAI. Extensive
comparisons of the different techniques and methods for clock comparisons
are computed regularly and published on the internet. Calibration
programmes of GPS receivers have been organized and run by the Section.
The Section has provided support to the Joint CCL/CCTF Working Group on
Frequency Standards (former Joint CCL/CCTF Working Group on
Secondary Representations of the Second), in which some members of the
staff have responsibilities.
Research work is also dedicated to space-time reference systems. The
cooperation with the USNO (United States) for the provision of the
Conventions Product Centre of the International Earth Rotation and
Reference Systems Service (IERS) continues, and a workshop on the IERS
Conventions is being organized for September 2007 at the BIPM.
At the end of 2006, the BIPM piloted for the last time key comparison
BIPM.L-K11. Staff of the Section have contributed to the transfer of this key
comparison to NMIs. A new protocol has been elaborated, and the key
comparison, under the name CCL-K11, will in the future be under the
responsibility of BEV (Austria) as pilot laboratory. The Section has also
provided calibration and measurement service of lasers for both internal and
external users.
An important number of requests for iodine cells have been satisfied in the
year covered by this report. Many of the demands concern specially designed
cells. Studies on the realisation of fibre-cells have started.
Improvements of the gravimeter FG5-108 have progressed in cooperation
with the VNIIM (Russian Federation). Some theoretical investigations have
been conducted to improve corrections of the position of the free-falling
mass in the gravimeter.
Cooperation between the Section and the special projects at the BIPM
continues. Preliminary studies have been made for accurate gravity
measurements for the BIPM watt balance. A member of the Section assists in
the winding of the coils for the watt balance. In addition, the Section is
involved in the construction of the interferometer for length measurements in
the calculable capacitor.
Electricity: This year has been crucial for the Section because three
experienced scientists have retired and have been replaced by the staff
transferred from the Radiometry and Photometry section in 2003 and one
new staff member recruited in May 2006. The training of these new members
of the Section has been the priority during the last few years, to ensure the
continuity and quality of our services.
During the last year all three calibration services: voltage, resistance and
capacitance have been audited by external experts. Special attention was paid
to knowledge transfer from the experienced staff to the new staff. All
auditors expressed their satisfaction with the level of competence of the new
staff. In addition, a first Josephson on-site comparison was successfully
carried out by the younger staff. Three on-site comparisons of Josephson
voltage standards have been successfully completed, with the INMETRO, the
NMIA and the NMi VSL. The agreement between the BIPM and with both
NMIA and NMi VSL is of the order of 1 part in 1010, which is an excellent
result. In the case of INMETRO, a higher noise level is responsible for a ten
times larger uncertainty. A voltage comparison using Zener voltage standards
as transfer standards was carried out with the NML (Ireland). A new
comparison of resistance standards at the level of 1 Ω with the NIST, to link
a SIM comparison to the KCDB, is under preparation. Preparations have also

started for a capacitance comparison of 10 pF with the NIST, to validate
BIPM’s uncertainty budget and to prepare for the determination of the von
Klitzing constant at the BIPM.
The renewal of the Josephson equipment is continuing with the development
of a compact and transportable probe holder and new electronic filters. We
have also tested a compact programmable microwave source which will, in
the future, replace the much more complex present system based on a Gunn
diode. The new automatic system for the more efficient calibration of Zener
diodes has been tested and needs some further improvement.
In the field of impedance measurements, a new double current source for the
cryogenic current comparator built last year, was constructed, demonstrating
that the Electricity section still masters these important technologies. Some of
the crucial components linking the quantized Hall resistance (QHR) with
conventional resistors have been verified at the level of a few parts in 109 by
comparing pairs of QHR samples connected in parallel and series
configuration with a single sample.
The measurement sequence from resistance to capacitance, using a
quadrature bridge, has been optimized. This is important for the planned
measurement of the von Klitzing constant with the calculable capacitor and
for our capacitance metrology in general. Further improvement is planned by
addressing the frequency dependence of the resistors in the bridge.
We have started a programme to renovate the impedance laboratories. This
has allowed us to move the capacitance laboratory close to the QHR
laboratory. A cable between both laboratories now gives a direct connection
of the QHR apparatus, without moving any standards.
Our work on time series analysis has been brought to an end by addressing
the problem of calculating the variance of the mean of a time series of
stochastically correlated measurements of a weak stationary process. The
variance of the mean of white noise measured through a low pass filter was
determined in four different ways, which were shown to be in good
agreement. The results can be directly applied to some of the measurements
in the Electricity section but the scope of applications is much larger.
Calculable capacitor: The BIPM workshop continues to fabricate
components for the two calculable capacitors being developed in
collaboration with the NMIA. Two members of the Electricity section have
spent three weeks at the NMIA to learn about the project and to optimize the
shape of the guard electrodes. A member of the Time, Frequency and

Gravimetry section has visited the NMIA to discuss questions related to the
interferometer needed to measure the relative position of the guard
electrodes. Agreement has been reached on the general approach. The mode
coupling optics will be developed at the BIPM during this year and we have
started to set up an interferometric test bench to study the contribution of the
interferometer to the total uncertainty of the system. The chain linking the
quantum Hall resistance to capacitance standards has been improved. A first
electrode bar has been fabricated at the NMIA with a cylindrical geometry
within the specifications. It is planned that our instrument shall arrive at the
BIPM in 2008.
Watt balance: A cooperative venture has been started with the Technical
University of Aachen (Germany), with the objective of fabricating and
assembling the magnetic circuit for the watt balance. This is particularly
difficult because very small mechanical tolerances of the pole pieces are
needed. The balance suspension has been re-designed for greater stiffness
and to correct some other mechanical imperfections. An electrostatic
damping system was added to stabilize the coil against rotations around the
vertical axis, which should reduce the velocity noise during the vertical
movement of the coil. The interferometer is being integrated into the system
so that, in future, velocity readings can be obtained directly from the
interferometer. An independent technique to verify the velocity readings of
the interferometer, based on the measurement of the Doppler shift, has been
set up. A first version of the moving coil has been built and inserted into the
test magnet. We have developed a technique for precisely synchronising the
measurements of the induced voltage by the digital voltmeter and that of the
velocity by the interferometer, so that noise components common in both
signals are suppressed in the voltage-velocity ratio. The elasto-mechanical
properties of the ground have been determined for the conception of an anti-
vibration base.
Ionizing Radiation: We have presented to the CCRI the new BIPM graphite
cavity primary standard for the determination of air kerma in gamma ray
beams, based on the differential volume measurements and Monte Carlo
calculations. The new value of the BIPM’s air kerma rate, which is indeed
higher than the previous value, is chiefly a result of the increased value to the
correction factor for axial non-uniformity of the beam, which has been
determined with an improved precision by using Monte Carlo calculations.
The new value was accepted by the CCRI in May subject to a scientific
publication describing the results, after which time it will be announced and
introduced from a fixed date. The prototype graphite calorimeter for

absorbed dose to water is being constructed ready for the first trials. The
concept is based on the pre-determined value of the specific heat capacity of
the graphite core which is under measurement at the moment. The primary
standard free air chamber for mammography dosimetry has been designed
and constructed and is presently being compared with the low-energy free air
standard.
Seven new dosimetry comparisons and some further measurements for an
earlier comparison have been made. No progress has been made regarding
the planned brachytherapy comparison due to lack of resources. Three
comparison reports have been published and the others are at different draft
stages. Twenty-one national secondary standards have been calibrated and
the Quality System for calibrations successfully underwent its second peer-
review. Continuing effort was expended to comply with French
environmental regulations concerning high activity 60Co sources, including a
series of in-house seminars on radiation protection.
We have completed the analysis of the 55Fe comparison that was held in 2006
and the results have the potential to support the measurement of 23 other
radionuclides through the grouping system set up by the CCRI(II). Of the
nineteen laboratories that participated in this comparison, two had results that
differed significantly from the key comparison reference value and this is
being investigated. Following the significant delays in receiving the samples
experienced by some NMIs, caused by the difficulties in cross-border
movement of radioactive material, a seminar was presented to the IAEA on
the margins of their General Conference, and they offered their support for
any international effort in this respect.
Thirteen laboratories submitted ampoules to seventeen of the BIPM ongoing
activity comparisons using the International Reference System (SIR). Studies
of 237Np, 241Am and 85Kr measurements have been made to support
international comparisons and 99Tcm was measured successfully in both the
SIR and the SIR transfer instrument to provide the link needed to extend
such comparisons specifically to NMI on-site measurements for short-lived
radionuclides. The new SIR measurement system continues to produce
consistent results and should be adopted at the end of 2007. Impurity activity
levels were measured using the BIPM Ge(Li) gamma spectrometer for seven
radionuclides submitted for comparisons. Due to lack of resources, no
progress has been made in calibrating the HPGe spectrometer. The BIPM
Quality System has been extended to include the SIR, which was
successfully peer-reviewed at the end of 2006.
The Section has given strong support to both the Consultative Committee for
Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibration and the Consultative Committee for
Ionizing Radiation, and their associated meetings held over 23 days in the
last 12 months.
Chemistry: In October 2006, the protocol of a new key comparison
coordinated by the BIPM (BIPM.QM-K1, Ozone at ambient level) was
distributed to potential participants. The first participant of the 2007-2008
cycle was the NIST in January 2007, with six other participants expected in
2007. An external audit of the Quality System established for the activities
directly linked with the ozone photometer comparisons was successfully
undertaken.
A study of systematic biases and measurement uncertainties in NIST
standard reference photometers (SRPs) was published in Metrologia in
October 2006, and led to the NIST establishing a “NIST SRP upgrade kit” in
order to minimize the two major biases revealed by the study. BIPM-SRP32
was upgraded, and an installation procedure developed. The BIPM is now
able to install upgrade kits for those participants in BIPM.QM-K1
maintaining a NIST SRP. A generalized least-square regression implemented
in the ozone comparison software is described in an article written in
collaboration with Dr W. Bremser (BAM) and submitted to Metrologia in
May 2007.
The programme to develop a primary ozone photometer using a frequency-
doubled laser as a light source has continued. The detector chain has been
modified to use UV photodiodes, and the laser cooling system has been
improved. Additional optical filters have been placed in the laser beam to
reject the residual portion of the fundamental wavelength in the frequency-
doubled beam. Initial measurements of ozone concentration performed with
this first version of a laser-based SRP succeeded in measuring ozone mole
fractions in dry air to within a few percent of the values determined by a
mercury lamp-based SRP.
All measurements related to the BIPM coordinated study, CCQM-P73
(Comparison of nitrogen monoxide gas standards), were completed.
Gravimetrically prepared NO standards in the range (30-70) µmol/mol from
11 NMIs were analyzed using two independent methods as well as Fourier
transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for impurity analysis. A reference
value for the comparison was calculated from the most consistent set of gas
standards, and it could be shown that in all but one case that impurity
measurement problems were the cause of discrepancies of certified values
from the reference value. The comparison draft B report was circulated in
June 2007.
The BIPM’s nitrogen dioxide gas standard dynamic facility was upgraded to
include a nitrogen generator and new control and data acquisition software
for the FTIR spectrometer. Studies of the consistency of nitrogen dioxide
concentrations calculated from permeation rates and those measured by
various analysers are currently underway, and comparisons with certified
values in gas cylinders based on static gravimetry are planned. Following the
request of the CCQM Gas Analysis Working Group, a planned future
comparison of NO2 gas standards will be extended to include the comparison
of spectroscopic methods for gas concentration determination.
The organic analysis programme has developed a facility for purity
assessment and to organize comparisons of NMI’s facilities for primary
calibrator characterization, initially for analytes of interest to the laboratory
medicine community. Refurbishment of a laboratory to provide an area for
controlled gravimetric transfer of materials and the accurate preparation of
calibration solutions was completed in 2007. The BIPM is coordinating
subsequent rounds of the CCQM-P20 series of organic substance purity
analysis comparisons: CCQM-P20.e for theophylline; and CCQM-P20.f for
digoxin. For CCQM-P20.e the main focus has been the identification and
quantification of theophylline and related compounds from the xanthine
group. For CCQM-P20.f, methods for the determination of the steroid
glycosides digoxin and digitoxin, and various related cardiac glycosides as
well as their corresponding aglycones have been developed.
The fifth meeting of the Executive Committee of the JCTLM was held at the
BIPM in December 2006, and the timetable for the approval of Cycle III
nominations of higher order reference materials and reference measurement
procedures, and of Cycle I nominations of laboratory reference measurement
procedures was agreed. The construction of the internet-based searchable
database for higher order reference materials and measurement
methods/procedures approved by the JCTLM was completed and, the new
website of the JCTLM database was launched in December 2006. From
December 2006 to June 2007, the number of external connections to the
JCTLM database website was, on average, 750 each month. The first list of
reference measurement services offered by laboratories was published on the
JCTLM website in June 2007. The JCTLM web application will be extended
to include the reference measurement laboratory services as a searchable
category to the database, and this will be available by the end of 2007.
1.15 Publications, lectures and travel of the Director

1.15.1 External publications
1. Wallard A.J., News from the BIPM – 2006, Metrologia, 2007, 44, 97-
103.
2. Wallard A.J., Amélioration de la traçabilité des mesures au niveau
international : un point sur la collaboration entre le BIPM et l'ILAC,
Revue française de métrologie, 2006, No. 8 (Vol. 2006-4), 53-58.
3. Wallard A.J., Guest Views, ISO Focus, October 2006, 4-7.
4. Wallard A.J., Measurement Principles and Structures, Springer
Handbook of Materials Measurement Methods, Springer, 2006, 3-16
(ISBN 3-540-20785-6).
5. Wallard A.J., Metrology and Society, Proc. International School of
Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Course CLXVI, Metrology and Fundamental
Constants, Societa Italiana di Fisica, 2007, 1-9.
6. Wallard A.J., The evolution of metrology: Past times to the present day,
Proc. International School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Course CLXVI,
Metrology and Fundamental Constants, Societa Italiana di Fisica, 2007,
11-19.
7. Wallard A.J., The organization of metrology, Proc. International
School of Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Course CLXVI, Metrology and
Fundamental Constants, Societa Italiana di Fisica, 2007, 21-33.
1.15.2 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits)

A.J. Wallard to:
• London (United Kingdom), 3-4 July 2006, for a meeting of the Quantum
Metrology Working Group of the DTI;
• Turin (Italy), 7-8 July 2006, for a meeting of the bureau of the CIPM and
to the CPEM;
• Varenna (Italy), 18-28 July 2006, to the International School of Physics
“Enrico Fermi” on Metrology and Fundamental Constants;
• Nashville (United States), 5-11 August 2006, to the NCSLI Conference

and Board of Management;
• Hanover (Germany), 28 September 2006, for a meeting with the PTB;
• Geel (Belgium), 29 September 2006, for a workshop at IRMM;
• Cape Town (South Africa), 17-20 October 2006, to the 41st CIML
meeting and for a presentation;
• Lima (Peru), 21-23 October 2006, to a JCDCMAS workshop and a
presentation;
• Mexico (Mexico), 25-28 October 2006, to the CENAM and for a talk at
the Metrology Symposium; 13-15 November 2006, to the General
Assembly of ILAC;
• Brussels (Belgium), 30 November 2006, to a meeting of DG Enterprise;
• Tokyo and Tsukuba (Japan), 10-14 December 2006, for meetings and a
presentation at NMIJ and for discussion with MITI;
• New Delhi (India), 15-16 December 2006, to a meeting of APMP;
• Berlin (Germany), 11 January 2007, to the PTB and to a meeting for the
launch of the iMERA project of EUROMET;
• Los Angeles (United States), 24-26 January 2007, to the Measurement
Science Conference, for a keynote speech;
• Morro Bay (United States), 27-30 January 2007, to the NCSLI Board
Meeting;
• Washington DC (United States), 31 January – 1 February 2007, to the
NIST and the US State Department;
• Braunschweig (Germany), 11 January 2007, to the PTB;
• Vienna (Austria), 12-13 March 2007, to a meeting of the JCDCMAS;
• Ottawa (Canada), 23-26 April 2007, to a meeting of the NRC-INMS
Advisory Board;
• Pretoria (South Africa), 1-5 May 2007, for the 18th JCRB meeting and a
related workshop;
• Vienna (Austria), 10 May 2007, for the 5th meeting of the Accreditation
Committee of ILAC General Assembly;
• London (United Kingdom), 30 May 2007, to a meeting of EUROMET.
1.16 Activities of the Director related to external organizations

The Director is a member of the Scientific Council of the INRIM, Turin; a
member of IUPAC's Interdivisional Committee on Terminology,
Nomenclature and Symbols; and a member of IUPAP-C.2 Commission on
symbols, units, nomenclature, atomic masses and fundamental constants
(SUNAMCO). He is a Visiting Professor in the Institute of Mathematics and
Physical Sciences of the University of Wales at Aberystwyth; a member of
the Board of the National Conference of Standards Laboratories International
(NCSLI); a member of the Scientific Academy of Turin; a member of UK’s
Pathfinder Programme Working Group and the National Measurement
System Board of the Department for Universities, Innovation and Skills; a
member of the Advisory Board of INMS-NRC, Canada, and Chairman of the
JCRB and the JCGM.
2 MASS (R.S. DAVIS)
2.1 Calibrations
2.1.1 Certificates (P. Barat and R.S. Davis)
During the past year, certificates were issued for the following 1 kg
prototypes in platinum-iridium: No. 48 (Denmark) and No. 72 (Rep. of
Korea). Calibration of the national prototypes of Singapore and Hungary is
underway.
Certificates for 1 kg standards in stainless steel were issued to: SIRIM
(Malaysia) (two) and DMDM (formerly ZMDM, Serbia) (one). Calibrations
of 1 kg stainless steel standards are currently being carried out for LATU
(Uruguay) and SPRING (Singapore).
We have also carried out internal BIPM calibrations of mass standards used
with our pressure balance (see Section 2.9), and a 100 g auxiliary standard
used for mass calibrations.
Calibrations were made for EIM (Greece) of the magnetic susceptibilities of
two metal blocks used with a BIPM-type magnetic susceptometer.
2.1.2 Quality Management System (P. Barat, R.S. Davis and C. Goyon-
Taillade)
In conformity with the BIPM Quality Management System (QM), the mass
calibration service underwent a successful external audit. This, our
second peer-review since introducing the QM system, was carried out by
Dr Ph. Richard (METAS), Chairman of the CCM Working Group on Mass
Standards. A range of measurement capabilities was audited because,
depending on the request, a calibration certificate may include results for
mass, density (or volume), magnetic properties (susceptibility and permanent
magnetization) and height of centre of gravity.
2.2 Balances to support development programmes

(P. Barat, H. Fang and A. Picard)
As mentioned last year, room 105 was completely renovated in order to
accommodate the new Sartorius CCL 1007 mass comparator. Commissioning
was carried out for the comparator. The devices and probes used to measure
the relevant parameters for air density determination inside the airtight
enclosure were implemented and commissioned. Computer programs in
LabView have been written or adapted to acquire the data coming from the
mass comparator as well as from the instruments used to measure air
parameters (thermodynamic air temperature T, relative humidity h, dew point
temperature tr, barometric pressure p and the mole fraction of carbon dioxide
xCO2 in air). In addition, the program used to compute weighing results and
air densities, previously written for the BIPM FB2 balance, has been adapted
for the Sartorius comparator. An oil free vacuum pump system has been
connected to the enclosure. After pumping down for about one day, the
residual pressure stabilizes at about 0.004 Pa, which is sufficiently low for
our purposes.
During the comparator commissioning, we observed that the scale of the
balance was not linear throughout its range of 2 g. Engineers from Sartorius
came to update the linearity parameters in the Sartorius software.
Investigations have also been undertaken at the BIPM to characterize the
balance behavior. The errors due to the weighing position on the carousel
have been estimated by comparing the mass differences between two masses
placed successively at different carrousel positions. So far, the range of these
errors over all eight positions of the carousel has been within 2.0 µg and
0.3 µg in air and under vacuum, respectively. Additional investigations in air
need to be made in order to reduce these errors.
Comparisons of two 1 kg Pt/Ir masses and a 1 kg silicon sphere against a

1 kg Pt/Ir cylinder have been carried out during four months, alternately in
air and under vacuum. For the Pt/Ir-Pt/Ir comparisons, we obtained a
reproducibility of the mass difference, corrected of drift, of 1.2 µg in air and
0.4 µg under vacuum. The reproducibility was 4.0 µg in air and 1.1 µg under
vacuum for the Si-Pt/Ir comparisons. The standard deviation of several series
of measurements, performed under the same air or vacuum condition where
the balance case remains closed, was 1.0 µg in air and 0.3 µg under vacuum
for the Pt/Ir-Pt/Ir comparison. We obtained a standard deviation of 4.7 µg in
air and 0.6 µg under vacuum for the comparison of a silicon sphere against
platinum. The repeatability of measurements during a series of weighings
was 0.8 µg in air and 0.2 µg under vacuum for the two Pt/Ir masses. It was
4.0 µg in air and 0.3 µg under vacuum for the Si-Pt/Ir comparison. The
reported values of the reproducibility and the repeatability in air include the
uncertainty coming from the air buoyancy correction. A better estimate of the
intrinsic performance of the comparator is given by the repeatability and
reproducibility evaluated under vacuum, although even in this case, there
will still be a contribution from the instability of the mass artefacts
themselves.
The Sartorius balance is in almost constant operation, mainly in support of
the Avogadro project. Due to insufficient staffing, the FB2 balance is no
longer used.
2.3 Water vapour sorption on silicon spheres

(P. Barat, H. Fang and A. Picard)
In the framework of the Avogadro project, a wide work plan has been
launched this year to better evaluate the physical and chemical water sorption
on silicon sphere surfaces. The Avogadro constant determination requires the
knowledge of the mass of the core of the sphere; i.e. without any trace of
water, contamination and oxide layer on the surface. The contamination is
easily removed by using a well defined washing protocol, whose efficiency
has already been demonstrated, proposed by the NMIA. The mass of oxide
layer on the surface is evaluated by other laboratories for further correction.
Therefore, the purpose of this work is to investigate the water sorption
effects, first on a natural oxide layer and afterwards re-investigate the effects
on a well controlled thermal oxide layer (9 nm), as planed in the Avogadro
project. Two silicon spheres, named S1 and S2, ordered from a Japanese
company last year were delivered early this year. The first sphere will always
be maintained in air as a reference, whilst the sphere S2 will be weighed in

air as well as under vacuum. In addition, the NMIJ/AIST has kindly lent a
silicon sphere named NMIJ-CZ on which we plan to carry out a thermal
oxide treatment after the study of sorption effects made on the natural oxide
layer. So far, the physical sorption (reversible effect) has been investigated
on the S2 and NMIJ-CZ spheres. The difference in mass weighed in air and
under vacuum permits us to deduce the change in physical sorption between
vacuum and air of 50 % relative humidity. We obtained a change of about
32 ng/cm² for the NMIJ-CZ sphere, which is close to one layer of water. This
result confirms what was seen in the previous study carried out at the BIPM
two years ago on small silicon sorption artefacts. Weighings made on the S2
sphere gave a coefficient as large as 115 ng/cm², which needs to be clarified.
The study will continue by sending the sphere NMIJ-CZ to Germany for the
thermal oxide deposit and afterwards a repetition of the previous study.
2.4 International Avogadro Coordination project (A. Picard)

The BIPM continues to be an active participant in the CCM Working Group
on the Avogadro Constant and acts as the coordinator for the mass
determination of silicon spheres in the framework of the International
Avogadro Coordination (IAC) project. The BIPM was the pilot laboratory
for the international mass comparison of the sphere AV0#3, which is now
completed. The main innovation of this comparison is based on the fact that
it was the first international mass comparison under vacuum and at the
highest level of accuracy ever achieved. Among the five laboratories
involved in this comparison, only one didn’t have the facility needed for
vacuum weighings. An overall consistency check of the results obtained has
been made and one laboratory was identified as discrepant for results
obtained both in air and under vacuum. Reference values have been
determined with their associated standard deviations of 6 µg and 3 µg in air
and under vacuum, respectively. Nevertheless, a mass difference of about
20 µg between measurements performed in air and under vacuum has been
observed, but it is within the uncertainties. Finally, the target fixed by the
IAC to obtain a relative uncertainty of 4 × 10−9 has been reached in vacuum
on this particular mass comparison.
2.5 Humidity generator (H. Fang)

We recall that the BIPM has developed a humidity generator in the range
from 5 °C to 15 °C for accurate in-house calibrations of dew point meters or
humidity sensors. Excellent repeatability and reproducibility of measure-
ments has been obtained. Nevertheless, more investigations on thermal
gradient inside the main saturator are necessary. Unfortunately, this work has
been discontinued since early 2005 due to a lack of staff resources. To verify
the performance of a new Michell dew-point temperature instrument used for
the CCL Sartorius mass comparator, measurements were carried out late last
year at dew points of 5 °C, 10 °C and 15 °C. Two relative humidity sensors
and our master dew point meter were also investigated. The last was sent to
LNE-CETIAT for calibration four months later. Our values agreed to 0.01 °C
with those given by LNE-CETIAT for 10 °C and 15 °C. For 5 °C, a
difference of 0.1 °C was observed. These results are very encouraging after
almost two years without using the generator. It is hoped that work will be
taken up again late this year with the goal of establish a service for humidity
calibration within the BIPM Management Quality System.
2.6 Pt-Ir 1 kg sorption artefacts (A. Picard)

To support the teams working on both the watt balance and the Avogadro
project, the BIPM has been manufacturing four sets of two 1 kg Pt-Ir
sorption artefacts. These artefacts are used to make the link between national
prototypes which are maintained in air and the test masses employed in the
watt balance experiments or the silicon spheres used in the Avogadro project,
which are all weighed under vacuum. Each set of sorption artefacts is
composed of one classical prototype (cylindrical in form with height and
diameter equal to 39 mm) and one artefact in the form of a stack of eight
separated discs kept apart at each level by three bent Pt-Ir rods. The
difference in surface area between the 1 kg cylinder and the 1 kg stack is
about 186 cm2. The volume difference is very small. The fabrication of these
artefacts, especially the stacks, is tedious and time consuming. So far, two
sets have been delivered and two others will be completed before the end of
this year. Preliminary measurements carried out on the BIPM set gave a
difference of physical water vapour sorption of about 45 ng/cm2 between air,
at about 50 % relative humidity, and the vacuum within the balance. This
coefficient is consistent with the result obtained in the previous study
undertaken at the BIPM.
2.7 Glove box (A. Picard)

At its meeting in March 2007, the CCM identified a number of preparative
steps towards a redefinition of the kilogram in terms of fundamental or
atomic constants. In particular, certain features of any Mise en pratique are
becoming clearer and the CCM recommends that these should be addressed
immediately. Among them are the need to transfer mass artefacts kept under
vacuum or inert gas to mass comparators, the need to organize international
comparisons with artefacts kept under vacuum or inert gas and the
desirability that the BIPM coordinates such comparisons. In anticipation of
this recommendation, earlier this year we began to study a device which will
permit the transfer of a mass under vacuum or inert gas without contact with
ambient air, from any transportable container to the Sartorius CCL 1007
comparator. Cooperation with the Sartorius company is underway in order to
adapt a Vacuum Transfer System (VTS) to our Sartorius comparator in the
best possible way. The VTS will be coupled to the balance and could be
evacuated or, alternatively, filled with pure N2. We also need a commercial,
off-the-shelf inert gas glove box (GB) which need not be located at the
balance. The GB can be operated at a pressure slightly below atmospheric
but not under vacuum. The purity of the inert dry gas maintained by such a
unit is such that the maximum impurity content of H2O and O2 will be less
than 1 µmol/mol. The mass enclosed in the travel container will be manually
transferred to a separate automatic loadable container (ALC) inside the GB.
The ALC should be designed in order to receive 1 kg Pt-Ir or stainless steel
cylinders and 1 kg silicon spheres. It will be connected to the VTS for the
transfer to the balance. A special need of the Avogadro project is the
coupling of a vacuum oven to the GB in order to bake the sphere, thereby
eliminating water that is chemisorbed and physisorbed on the surface. We
hope to receive the whole bench transfer system early next year.
2.8 Hydrostatic weighing apparatus

(R.S. Davis and C. Goyon-Taillade)
We recall that this apparatus is used to determine the density and volume of
mass standards, including new 1 kg prototypes manufactured by the BIPM.
This year, densities were determined for a pair of Pt-Ir mass standards: one is
a cylinder and the other is a stack of eight disks, separated at each level by
three rods, 2 mm in diameter. The stack is a challenging object to weigh in a
hydrostatic apparatus. The pair of artefacts will be used in the Mass section
to correct for sorption effects between air and vacuum, as described in

Section 2.6.
These determinations have been made with doubly distilled water as the
standard. The density of water is calculated from the CIPM 2001 formula,
with suitable corrections for isotopic abundance, dissolved air and pressure.
Work is in progress to replace water by the two 500 g cylinders of single-
crystal silicon received in June 2006. They were obtained through the help of
our colleagues at the NMIJ/AIST, who also determined their densities. New
software has been written for data acquisition and analysis. Preliminary tests
with the silicon cylinders in water have been performed, as a preliminary step
to using a transfer liquid other than water. The agreement between the water
density, calculated from the formula, with the value of the density calculated
from the silicon artefacts is remarkably close, and consistent with the
uncertainty of artefacts themselves.
The measurement algorithm has been improved in that the balance sensitivity
is determined during each weighing series in air. Previously, the sensitivity
was determined separately, just prior to weighing the mass standards. We
plan to use similar algorithm for weighing in the transfer liquid.
2.9 Pressure (P. Barat, R.S. Davis and C. Goyon-Taillade, M. Rami*)

Calibrations of BIPM manometers with respect to the pressure balance
maintained in the Mass section have been carried out every three months.
The final step of the commissioning of our manometer was a bilateral
comparison piloted by the LNE (France). Formally, this has been done as a
supplementary comparison (EUROMET.M.P-S3). The LNE has produced a
draft A report and our editorial comments were returned to the LNE in
October 2006.
Several of the manometers of the Mass section are measured in situ by means
of vacuum-tight tubes running from the pressure balance to other
laboratories. We have studied the influence of different parameters on these
pressure measurements and discovered that the long length of tubing does
not influence the results. However, we did learn that the manometer used in
the study is sensitive to convection from the air-conditioning system. We
have also studied the effect of different ambient temperatures on results
* Student at the IUT Saint-Denis (France).

obtained from the manometers. Some unexpected results were obtained but
we have not completed a full analysis of the data.
2.10 Other work

2.10.1 Collaboration with European Space Agency on LISA programme
(R.S. Davis)
Last year we reported special magnetic susceptibility measurements on a 2 kg
cubical test mass made of an alloy of gold and platinum. These
measurements were requested by the LISA-Pathfinder team and were the
subject of a press release issued in October 2006 by the European Space
Agency. This year we constructed a modified susceptometer designed
specifically for these measurements. Susceptibility measurements have
recently been completed on the same test mass and two additional test
masses.
2.10.2 G, Torsion balance experiment (R.S. Davis, T.J. Quinn* and

C.C. Speake**)
An apparent problem with one of the three modes of this experiment has
delayed the final report of results. If the problem cannot be resolved by
September 2007, we will nevertheless end the experiment and report the
results.
2.11 Publications, lectures, travel: Mass section

1. Becerra L.O., Berry J., Chang C.S., Chapman G.D., Chung J.W.,
Davis R.S., Field I., Fuchs P., Jacobsson U., Lee S.M., Loayza V.M.,
Madec T., Matilla C., Ooiwa A., Scholz F., Sutton C., van Andel I.,
Magnetic properties comparison of mass standards among seventeen
national metrology institutes, Metrologia, 2006, 43(5), 426-434.
2. Davis R.S., Practical approach to minimizing magnetic errors in
weighing, Measure, 2006, 1(3), 70-72.
* Director Emeritus of BIPM.

** University of Birmingham (UK).
3. Davis R.S., Mass metrology: Underlying assumptions, present best

practice, new frontiers, Proc. International School of Physics “Enrico
Fermi”, Course CLXVI, Metrology and Fundamental Constants,
Societa Italiana di Fisica, 2007, 473-498.
4. Davis R., Coarasa J., Errors due to magnetic effects in 1 kg primary
mass comparators, Measurement, 2007, 40, 769-773.
2.11.2 BIPM report

5. Davis R.S., Calculation of the effective area of DHI piston-cylinder
No. 517, working in the absolute mode at a nominal pressure of
1000 hPa, Rapport BIPM-2006/10, 12 pp.
2.11.3 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits, training)

R.S. Davis to:
• Politecnico di Torino, Turin (Italy), 8 July 2006, to attend a meeting of
the CCEM Working Group on Electrical Methods for Monitoring the
Stability of the Kilogram;
• CPEM, Turin (Italy), 10-14 July 2006;
• International School of Physics “Enrico Fermi” Varenna (Italy), 18-
22 July 2006, to present lectures on mass metrology;
• APGRADE Workshop, Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble (France), 26-
28 October 2006, to present an invited talk on how a watt balance can be
used to link the kilogram to the Planck constant;
• 2006 meeting of Combined Regional Measurement Assurance
Programme, 30 October – 2 November 2006, Boulder (United States),
invited by the NIST Weights and Measures Division to introduce the
subject of possible changes to the SI and to participate in sessions
devoted to international metrology;
• DFM (Denmark), 6 November 2006, to participate in a surveillance visit
of the mass activities;
• ADMET-06, Pressure and Vacuum Workshop, Meeting of APMP TCM,
New Delhi (India), 11-14 December 2006 (presented ADMET-06
keynote address: Metrology before and after the CIPM MRA);
• EUROMET TC-Mass, 28 February – 2 March 2007, Teddington (United
Kingdom), to represent the BIPM;
• EUROMET TC-Therm, 26-28 March 2007, Berlin (Germany) to

coordinate CCT activities;
• TempMeko, 20-24 May 2007, and meetings of CCT working groups,
25 May 2007, Lake Louise (Canada).
R.S. Davis and A. Picard to INRIM, Turin (Italy), 6-7 July 2006, to attend a
meeting of the IAC committee.
A. Picard to:
• IKZ, Berlin (Germany), 17 October 2006 and 26-27 February 2007, to
attend meetings of the IAC committee;
• Sartorius, Ilmenau (Germany), 18 October 2006, for technical discussion
on the glove box project as well as on the CCL 1007 mass comparator;
• NMIA, Sydney (Australia), 13-21 June 2007, for delivery of enriched
28
Si and technical discussions in the context of IAC project and about
air-vacuum mass measurements.
2.12 Activities related to the work of Consultative Committees

R.S. Davis is Executive Secretary of the Consultative Committee for Mass
and Related Quantities (CCM) and the Consultative Committee for
Thermometry (CCT). He was invited to attend the meeting of the
Consultative Committee for Units (CCU) held in June 2007. The CCM met
at the BIPM on 23 March 2007. This was an extraordinary meeting convened
to respond to Recommendation 1 (CI-2005) of the 94th CIPM meeting
concerning preparative steps towards a new definition of the kilogram
(among other units).
A. Picard spends 20 % of his time working as coordinator for mass
measurements in the International Avogadro Coordination project/CCM
Working Group on the Avogadro Constant (see Section 2.6).
[Note: A. Picard has been transferred to the watt balance experiment, where
he devotes the remaining 80 % of his time.]
2.13 Visitors to the Mass section

• Messrs T. Fehling and T. Froehlich (Sartorius AG, Germany), 6-7
November 2006, to discuss arrangements for technology transfer
between the BIPM and Sartorius and for technical support of the CCL
1007 mass comparator.
• Dr Ph. Richard (METAS), 30 November – 1 December 2006, to peer

review BIPM mass calibration services.
• Dr C. Mitsas (EIM), 11-12 January 2007, to consult on magnetic
measurements of mass standards.
• Open House in the Mass section, 12 February 2007, to introduce the
BIPM staff to the Avogadro project.
• Mr C. Sutour and Mrs C. Stumpf (LNE), 16 March 2007, to discuss
status of LNE determinations of the argon content of air.
• Dr E. Williams and Dr Z. Jabbour (NIST), 20 March 2007 for technical
discussion on the procedure to transfer test masses under vacuum or in
inert gas.
• Prof. F. Lepoutre (CNAM), 29 March 2007.
• Prof. M. Himbert (LNE-INM/CNAM), 25 April 2007.
• Mr T. Froehlich (Sartorius AG, Germany), 9-10 May 2007, for technical
intervention on the CCL 1007 mass comparator and on the glove box
project.
• Messrs L. Soli (Thales-Alenia Space, Italy) and L. Trougnou (ESA-
ESTEC), 18-19 June 2007, for characterization of the magnetic
susceptibility of test masses used in the LISA project of the European
Space Agency.
• Dr S.-M. Lee (SPRING Singapore), 18 June – 27 July 2007 to study
means of transferring the unit of mass from the BIPM to SPRING.
2.14 Student to the Mass section

• M. Rami (student at the IUT Saint-Denis, France), 16 April – 22 June
2007, to assist in characterization of pressure apparatus.
3 TIME, FREQUENCY AND GRAVIMETRY (E.F. ARIAS)
3.1 International Atomic Time (TAI) and Coordinated Universal Time

(UTC) (E.F. Arias, Z. Jiang, H. Konaté, W. Lewandowski, G. Petit,
G. Thibaudeau*, L. Tisserand and P. Wolf**)
The reference time scales, International Atomic Time (TAI) and Coordinated
Universal Time (UTC), are computed from data reported regularly to the
BIPM by the various timing centres that maintain a local UTC; monthly
results are published in Circular T. Consequently, with the new structure of
the section, the traditional Annual Report of the BIPM Time Section has
changed its name to BIPM Annual Report on Time Activities, but the contents
remain the same. The BIPM Annual Report on Time Activities for 2006,
volume 1, complemented by computer-readable files on the BIPM website
(http://www.bipm.org), provides the definitive results for 2006.
3.2 Algorithms for time scales (Z. Jiang, W. Lewandowski and G. Petit)
The algorithm used for the calculation of time scales is an iterative process
that starts by producing a free atomic scale (Échelle atomique libre or EAL)
from which TAI and UTC are derived. Research into time scale algorithms is
conducted in the Section with the aim of improving the long-term stability of
EAL and the accuracy of TAI.
3.2.1 EAL stability

Some 86 % of the clocks used in the calculation of time scales are either
commercial cæsium clocks of the HP/Agilent 5071A type or active, auto-
tuned hydrogen masers. To improve the stability of EAL, a weighting
procedure is applied to clocks where the maximum relative weight each
month depends on the number of participating clocks. About 14 % of the
participating clocks have, on average, been at the maximum weight, during
2006. This procedure generates a time scale which relies upon the best
clocks.
* Assistant since 1 April 2007.

** Physicist until 31 December 2006.
Since 2003, it is estimated that the stability of EAL, expressed in terms of an

Allan deviation, has been at or below 0.4 × 10−15 for averaging times of one
month. Slowly varying long-term drifts limit the stability to around 2 × 10−15
for averaging times of six months.
3.2.2 TAI accuracy

To characterize the accuracy of TAI, estimates are made of the relative
departure, and its uncertainty, of the duration of the TAI scale interval from
the SI second, as produced on the rotating geoid, by primary frequency
standards. Since July 2006, individual measurements of the TAI frequency
have been provided by eleven primary frequency standards, including seven
cæsium fountains (IT CSF1, LNE-SYRTE FO1, LNE-SYRTE FO2, LNE-
SYRTE FOM, NIST F1, NMIJ F1 and PTB CSF1). Reports on the operation
of the primary frequency standards are regularly published in the BIPM
Annual Report on Time Activities and on the BIPM website.
Starting in July 2004, a monthly steering correction of, a maximum,
0.7 × 10−15 is applied as deemed necessary. Since July 2006, the global
treatment of individual measurements has led to a relative departure of the
duration of the TAI scale unit from the SI second on the geoid ranging from
+0.7 × 10−15 to +3.7 × 10−15, with a standard uncertainty of about 1 × 10−15.
Since September 2006, we have used for this treatment the standard
uncertainties of [UTC – UTC(k)] to estimate the uncertainty in linking the
primary standards to TAI. Over the year, six steering corrections have been
applied for a total correction of [f (EAL) – f (TAI)] of -2.4 × 10−15.
3.2.3 Independent atomic time scales

TT(BIPM)
Because TAI is computed in “real-time” and has operational constraints, it
does not provide an optimal realization of Terrestrial Time (TT), the time
coordinate of the geocentric reference system. The BIPM therefore computes
an additional realization TT(BIPM) in post-processing, which is based on a
weighted average of the evaluation of the TAI frequency by the primary
frequency standards. We have provided an updated computation of
TT(BIPM), named TT(BIPM06), valid until December 2006. Here, we have
used all recently available data from the new cæsium fountains and a revised
estimation of the stability of the free atomic time scale EAL on which TAI is
based.
3.3 Primary frequency standards and secondary representations of

the second (E.F. Arias, G. Petit and P. Wolf*)
Members of the BIPM Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section are actively
participating in the work of the CCTF Working Group on Primary Frequency
Standards (PFS), seeking to encourage the creation of better documentation,
comparisons, and the use of high accuracy PFS (Cs fountains) for TAI.
Other microwave and optical atomic transitions are being proposed as
secondary representations of the second by the CCL/CCTF Joint Working
Group on Standard Frequencies (until October 2006, CCL/CCTF Joint
Working Group on Secondary Representations of the Second). A list
containing frequency values and uncertainties for Rb, Hg+, Yb+, Sr+ and Sr
has been proposed by the Joint Working Group and recommended by the
Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency (CCTF): Recommendation
CCTF 2 (2006) and by the CIPM: Recommendation 1 (CI-2006). An
extensive comparison of measurements from all Cs PFS, including eight
fountains, spanning seven years has been carried out. BIPM staff continues
to participate in the rapidly evolving field of optical frequency standards,
addressing, for example, the issue of their comparison at the 10−17 uncertainty
level or below.
3.4 Time links (E.F. Arias, Z. Jiang, H. Konaté, W. Lewandowski,

G. Petit, L. Tisserand and P. Wolf*)
Clock comparisons can presently be made by three independent techniques:
satellite common-view based on C/A code measurements from GPS single
frequency receivers; satellite common-view obtained with dual-frequency,
multi-channel GPS geodetic type receivers (P3); and two-way satellite time
and frequency transfer through geostationary telecommunications satellites
(TWSTFT). Significant improvement is being made with the growing
number of time links with P3 receivers (twelve official links in June 2006,
and several more computed as additional links), and with the increasing
number of TWSTFT observations (up to twelve per day for links in Europe
and with North America). The classical GPS single-channel single-frequency
* Physicist until 31 December 2006.

receivers that today represent only 25 % of the time transfer equipment are
being replaced to allow multi-channel, single or dual frequency observations.
As a result, there has been an improvement in the accuracy for time transfer,
and the whole system of time links has become more reliable.
Testing continues on other time and frequency comparison methods and
techniques. Exhaustive analysis has proved that further improvement should
be possible, in particular, for clock comparison over long distances by
calculating GPS all-in-view solutions instead of the current GPS common-
views. The CCTF Working Group on TAI has established two study groups
to analyze the benefits of this change, and which reported to the CCTF at
their meeting in September 2006. The new method has been implemented in
TAI computation in October 2006, and a complete description has been
published.
3.4.1 Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite

System (GLONASS) code measurements
All GPS links are corrected for satellite positions using IGS (International
GNSS Service) post-processed, precise satellite ephemerides, and those
performed with single-frequency receivers are corrected for ionospheric
delays using IGS maps.
3.4.2 Phase and code measurements from geodetic-type receivers

GPS and GLONASS time and frequency transfer may also be carried out
using dual-frequency, carrier-phase measurements in addition to code
measurements. This technique, already in common use in the geodetic
community, can be adapted to the needs of time and frequency transfer.
These studies are conducted in the framework of the IGS Working Group on
Clock Products, of which a physicist of the Section is a member.
The method developed to perform the absolute calibration of the Ashtech
Z12-T hardware delays allows us to use this receiver for differential
calibrations of similar receivers worldwide. Calibration trips began in
January 2001. Since 2006, calibration results have also been issued for the
new type of receiver Septentrio PolaRx2, and other types of receivers are
being investigated in collaboration with laboratories equipped with such
receivers. From July 2006 to June 2007, 12 such calibrations have taken
place concerning receivers in six laboratories. The travelling Z12-T had to be
repaired at the end of 2006 and a Septentrio receiver has been used as a
travelling receiver since that time. At least two receivers remain at the BIPM
to serve as a local reference with which the travelling receiver is compared
between calibration trips.
Data from geodetic-type receivers worldwide are collected for TAI
computation, using procedures and software developed in collaboration with
the Observatoire Royal de Belgique (ORB). As of June 2007, 23 laboratories
regularly provide such P3 data. Time links computed using these data are
systematically compared to those generated by other available techniques,
notably for two-way time transfer. Geodetic-type receivers also provide raw
phase measurements which may be used, along with the code measurements,
to compute time links. This is routinely done by the IGS for some time
laboratories which are also part of the IGS network. In addition, new Precise
Point Positioning (PPP) software, obtained in collaboration with geodetic
institutes, allows the BIPM to compute its own solutions for such time links.
Comparisons between PPP, IGS, P3 and two-way links have led to insightful
results on the stability of each technique. A procedure to regularly compute
PPP time links for TAI computation is being installed.
3.4.3 Two-way time transfer

Three meetings related to TWSTFT activities have been held since July
2006. The BIPM collects two-way data from 16 operational stations and
undertakes treatment of some two-way links. About ten TWSTFT links are
routinely used in the computation of TAI; some others are in preparation for
their introduction into the computation of TAI. The BIPM is also involved in
the calibration of two-way time-transfer links by comparison with GPS.
3.4.4 Uncertainties of TAI time links

The values of the type A and type B uncertainties of TAI time links are
published in the Circular T, together with the information on the time links
used in each monthly calculation.
3.4.5 Calibration of TAI time links

The BIPM is conducting a series of calibrations of GPS time equipment in
time laboratories which contribute to TAI. From July 2006 to June 2007,
GPS/GLONASS time equipment in three laboratories and GPS P3 equipment

in seven laboratories have been calibrated. The BIPM is also taking part in
the organization of TWSTFT calibration trips.
3.5 Key comparisons (E.F. Arias, W. Lewandowski and L. Tisserand)

Monthly updates of key comparison in time CCTF-K001.UTC are published
after the publication of Circular T. Timing centres in laboratories who are
participants to the CIPM MRA from Member States and Associates of the
CGPM, take part in this key comparison.
3.6 Pulsars (G. Petit)

Collaboration continues with the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP),
Toulouse, and other radio-astronomy groups observing pulsars and analyzing
pulsar data to study the potential capability of millisecond pulsars as a means
of sensing the very long-term stability of atomic time. The Time, Frequency
and Gravimetry section provides these groups with its post-processed
realization of Terrestrial Time.
3.7 Space-time references (E.F. Arias, G. Petit and P. Wolf*)

A web and ftp site for the IERS Conventions has been established at the
BIPM (http://tai.bipm.org/iers/) and a user discussion forum has been created
(http://tai.bipm.org/iers/forum/) for users to offer comments related to the
future updates of the IERS Conventions. Updates to the Conventions (2003)
have been posted on the website (http://tai.bipm.org/iers/convupdt). These
updates consider several new models for effects that affect the positions of
Earth's points at the mm level, which is now significant. These modifications
are studied with the help of the Advisory Board for the IERS Conventions
updates, including representatives of all groups involved in the IERS.
Activities related to the realization of reference frames for astronomy and
geodesy are developed in cooperation with the IERS. In these domains,
improvements in accuracy will enhance the need for a full relativistic
treatment and it is essential to continue participating in international working
groups on these matters; e.g. through the new IAU Commission “Relativity
* Physicist until 31 December 2006.

in Fundamental Astronomy”. Cooperation continued for the maintenance of

the international celestial reference system and work started in the framework
of the IAU, IVS and IERS for the construction of a new conventional
reference frame.
3.8 Comb development (R. Felder and L. Robertsson)

The year-long cooperation we have had with NIST concerning optical
frequency comb characterization has been completed and reported. A
compilation of the results from several experiments using different
techniques has been published confirming our earlier results of the excellent
homogeneity of the comb spectrum.
3.9 BIPM key comparison BIPM.L-K11 (R. Felder and L. Robertsson)

In 2003, the 22nd General Conference endorsed the proposal of the CIPM to
close the BIPM Length section during 2006. Consequently, the BIPM can no
longer pilot the BIPM.L-K11 key comparison and the last measurements
were made in the end of 2006 on lasers from Egypt, France, Italy, the
Republic of Korea, and Turkey.
Besides providing direct traceability for these standards, the measurements
constitute a high-level traceability network from which the reduced
uncertainty in the realization of the metre implementation can extend to
smaller NMIs. Furthermore, the accumulated information from these
measurements provides better values for the recommended radiations that are
to be included in the Mise en pratique, yielding an improvement which was
not available for the different frequency comparisons made in BIPM.L-K10.
It is also worth noting that after the introduction of comb technology into
some smaller NMIs, participation in BIPM.L-K11 has been seen as a way to
provide comb validation to a level relevant to support their claimed
measurement capability.
To meet the requests of the CCL and the needs of NMIs for such
comparisons a questionnaire was prepared and distributed to the Member
States. The responses indicated that there continues to be a need for this type
of measurement and a distributed structure for the continuation of
BIPM.L-K11 has therefore been proposed. In this proposal, the BEV
(Austria) will serve as the pilot laboratory together with four node
laboratories, MIKES, NMIJ, NPL and NRC, in the different RMOs. Final
details concerning the operation of the new comparison named CCL-K11

will be discussed during the September meeting of the CCL in 2007.
3.10 Calibration and measurement service

(R. Felder, J. Labot and L. Robertsson)
In addition to the formal BIPM.L-K11 programme, the Section has provided
calibration and measurement service for internal as well as specific external
needs. With the closure of the Length section and the BIPM.L-K11
comparison, the service for external users has also stopped. However, a
certain need of laser characterisation and frequency determinations for
internal use does exist at the BIPM, and our reference lasers and the combs
have been used for such internal needs during the year. This includes the
lasers for iodine cell quality testing, both at 633 nm and 532 nm, lasers for
the calculable capacitor project and the gravimeter instrumentation at the
BIPM. Modern gravimeters are equipped with frequency-stabilized laser
sources used for the determination of the position of the falling test mass. In
contrast to other sites suitable for comparisons of gravimeters, the BIPM is
able to provide unique facility of laser characterisation in connection to the
International Comparisons of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG) that are carried
out every four years at the BIPM, thereby making this site even more
attractive.
3.11 Iodine cells (R. Felder, J. Labot and L. Robertsson)

Few NMIs maintain an ability to manufacture iodine cells for stabilized
lasers, as it is a complex activity which requires ‘know-how’ as well as a
laboratory system. The BIPM provides this service based on accumulated
experience as a cost recovery activity. We have continued to receive a strong
demand for iodine cells from NMIs and laboratories for use in stabilized
lasers and in spectroscopy. This year, we have sold a total of 16 iodine cells.
It is important to note that this demand concerns, to a great extent, specially
designed cells with specific geometrical features.
In response to pumping problems, the vacuum system used for the filling
process of iodine cells has been completely dismantled and rebuilt several
times. As this vacuum system is now almost 25 years old, it is probably time
to think about its replacement.
A number of NMIs have indicated an interest in using a new type of iodine
cell, which should lead to enhanced performance of stabilized lasers. Based
on its current facilities, the BIPM has therefore carried out the first steps in
the provision of a filling service for such cells. This cell is based on a hollow
optical fibre, evacuated and filled with iodine. It is suggested that by using
the guided mode of the fibre to define the electromagnetic field distribution,
rather than the mirror position, improved reproducibility could be obtained,
and by using longer fibres, a better short-term stability could be envisaged.
However, it is a considerable technical challenge to realise such a fibre-cell.
A 50 cm long fibre has been evacuated, filled and sealed and first
spectroscopic signals recorded. The linear absorption of several lines in
molecular iodine was observed.
The standard iodine cells we produce are controlled by a frequency
comparison with our reference laser BIW 167. The iodine cells are therefore
placed in the cavity of an auxiliary laser, BIPM7, for which we needed to
replace the gain tube. The mechanical assembly of this laser has been
modified and several He-Ne laser tubes have been tested before we get a
satisfying running operation.
Specially designed cells with specific geometrical features cannot be
controlled by using a (He-Ne)/I2 laser. In this case, the cells under test are
placed in a (Nd:YAG)/I2 system which is compared by a beat frequency
method to our reference device at λ = 532 nm, previously calibrated using
our frequency comb. The whole set-up has been re-started to respond to this
demand of specific iodine cells.
3.12 Gravimeter FG5-108 (L. Vitushkin and O. Orlov*)

The compact Nd:YVO4/KTP/I2 laser at a wavelength of 532 nm (output laser
power of 3.5 mW) was modified at the VNIIM and installed on the
interferometer of the absolute gravimeter simultaneously with the
conventionally used He-Ne/I2 laser at a wavelength of 633 nm (output laser
power of about 100 µW). This made it possible by means of the convenient
alignment of the interferometer to make the measurement of the motion of
free-falling test body simultaneously or successively using both (or one of
the) laser radiations. The input laser beam at 532 nm was attenuated to obtain
the same amplitude of the interference signal as that at 633 nm.
The successive measurements of free-fall acceleration g with the laser
radiations at 532 nm and 633 nm were performed at the site A of the BIPM
* Guest scientist from VNIIM.

using the conventional data acquisition system of the FG5-108 and the
software NEWTON 3.12. The difference between the results obtained at two
wavelengths was less than 2 µGal.
The acquisition of the interference signals at both wavelengths was made
using the BIPM's new data acquisition system based on the fast data
acquisition card with the sampling rate of 100 M samples/s.
The dropping chamber of the FG5-108 was sent in March 2007 for repair and
maintenance to the producer “Micro-g LaCoste, Inc.”.
3.13 Gravimetry, theoretical investigations

3.13.1 Truncation tests of the results of g measurements (L. Vitushkin and
V. Nalivaev*)
The truncation tests, i.e. the study of the dependence of the results of
g measurement on the choice of the initial and final interference fringes of
the series of recorded fringes used in the data processing, were performed for
the data obtained with the gravimeter FG5-108 during the comparison ICAG-
2005.
3.13.2 Correction related to the distortion due to diffraction effects

(L. Robertsson)
The modern design of an absolute gravimeter is based on laser
interferometers for the determination of the time-dependent position of the
falling test mass. Ideally, the light field for such an interferometer is
considered to be a monochromatic plane wave of infinite lateral extension.
However, the fact that the laser sources most often used have a resonant
cavity composed of spherical mirrors imposes broader conditions on the
Helmholtz equation giving beam-like solutions with different spatial
extensions. For each of these, minute corrections in the phase progression
compared to the plane wave approximation are present. A study has been
made in which expressions for these phase-corrections were derived for the
case of a two-beam interferometer. The contribution from these diffraction-
induced shifts to the g value determined in absolute gravimetry has been
calculated.
* Guest scientist from VNIIMS.

3.13.3 Correction related to the finite speed of light (L. Vitushkin)

The existing methods for the evaluation of the correction to the results of
g measurements related to the effects of the light propagation in the
interferometer with the free-falling reflector are under analysis for the
preparation of the recommendations by the CCM Working Group on
Gravimetry on the evaluation of such a correction for the absolute ballistic
gravimeters.
3.14 The 7th International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters,

ICAG-2005 (Z. Jiang and L. Vitushkin)
The results of the absolute and relative measurements have been presented to
the pilot laboratory, the BIPM. The discussion group (moderated by
A. Germak, INRIM) was organized at the Second Joint Meeting of the CCM
Working Group on Gravimetry and IAG Study Group 2.1.1 on Comparison
of Absolute Gravimeters (METAS, 7-8 June 2006) to help some groups from
the geophysical community to evaluate the uncertainty budget according to
the GUM.
The preparation of the Report A on the ICAG-2005 is in progress.
3.15 Preliminary study on the BIPM watt balance project in view of

gravimetry (Z. Jiang)
The watt balance requires an uncertainty of 10−8 in the absolute gravity
value. An initial investigation has been carried out for accurate gravity
measurements, of the equipment and the influence of local and global
environment.
3.16 Publications, lecture, travel: Time, Frequency and Gravimetry

section
1. Arias E.F, Time scales and relativity, Proc. International School of
Physics “Enrico Fermi”, Course CLXVI, Metrology and Fundamental
Constants, Societa Italiana di Fisica, 2007, 367-392.
2. Jiang Z., Dach R., Petit G., Schildknecht T., Hugentobler U.,
Comparison and combination of TAI time links with continuous GPS
carrier phase results, Proc. EFTF-IFCS 2006, 2007, 440-447.
3. Jiang Z., Petit G., Redundancy in the TAI TWSTFT time transfer
network, Proc. EFTF-IFCS 2006, 2007, 468-475.
4. Ma L.-S., Bi Z., Bartels A., Kim K., Robertsson L., Zucco M., Windeler
R.S., Wilpers G., Oates C., Hollberg L., Diddams S.A., Frequency
Uncertainty for Optically Referenced Femtosecond Laser Frequency
Combs, IEEE J. Quant. Electr., 2007, 43(2), 139.
5. Matsakis D., Lee M., Dach R., Hugentobler U., Jiang Z., GPS Carrier
Phase Analysis Noise on the USNO-PTB Baselines, Proc. FCS 2006,
631-636.
6. Matsakis D., Arias E.F., Bauch A., Davis J., Gotoh T., Hosokawa M.,
Piester D., On optimizing the configuration of time-transfer links used
to generate TAI, Proc. 20th EFTF, 2006, 448-454.
7. Nawrocki J., Rau Z., Lewandowski W., Małkowski M., Marszalec M.,
Nerkowski D., Steering UTC(AOS) and UTC(PL) by TA(PL), Proc.
38th PTTI - Applications and Planning Meeting, 2006, Reston, VA,
2007, 379-388.
8. Petit G., Defraigne P., Warrington B., Uhrich P., Calibration of dual
frequency GPS receivers for TAI, Proc. 20th EFTF, 2006, 455-459.
9. Petit G., Jiang Z., Using a redundant time link system in TAI
computation, Proc. 20th EFTF, 2006, 436-439.
10. Robertsson L., On the diffraction correction in absolute gravimetry,
Metrologia, 2007, 44, 35-39.
3.16.2 BIPM publications

11. BIPM Annual Report on Time Activities for 2006, 2007, 1, 100 pp.
12. Circular T (monthly), 7 pp.

E.F. Arias to:
• Santiago de Compostela (Spain), 24 November 2006, invited lecturer at
the Jornada de Metrología;
• San Francisco (United States), 8-9 December 2006, for the IGS Strategic
Planning Retreat; 10 December 2006, for the 29th meeting of the IGS
Governing Board; 12 December 2006, for the 7th GGOS Steering
Committee meeting;
• Vienna (Austria), 21 February and 5 June 2007, for preparatory

meetings of the International Committee on GNSS;
• Paris (France), 21 March 2007, for the Journée Martine Feissel at the
Séminaire Espace-temps à l’Observatoire de Paris, with an invited
presentation;
• Geneva (Switzerland), 28 May – 1 June 2007, for the joint EFTF/FCS
meeting and for the meeting of the CCTF Working Group on Primary
Frequency Standards.
E.F. Arias and G. Petit to Prague (Czech Republic), 15-24 August 2006, for
presentations to the 26th General Assembly of the International Astronomical
Union.
E.F. Arias and W. Lewandowski to Geneva (Switzerland), 28 August –
1 September 2006, for the meeting of the Working Party 7A of the
International Communications Union (ITU).
Z. Jiang to:
• Istanbul (Turkey), 28 August – 1 September 2006, for the First
Symposium of the International Gravity Field Service, presentation;
• Hsinchu (Chinese Taipei), 12-15 March 2007, for the First Asia
Workshop on Superconducting Gravimetry, presentation;
meeting, presentation.
W. Lewandowski to:
• Warsaw (Poland), several trips of a few days each to the Space Research
Centre and Central Office of Measures;
• Brussels (Belgium), several trips of a few days each to the Galileo Joint
Undertaking;
• Turin (Italy), 12-14 July 2006, for the CPEM 2006, for a poster
presentation;
• Fort Worth (Texas, United States), 23 September – 1 October 2006, for
the 46th meeting of the Civil GPS Service Interface Committee
(chairmanship of the Timing Sub-committee), and for the ION GNSS;
• Noordwijk (The Netherlands), 2-3 November 2006, for a Galileo Time
Advisory Group at the ESA ESTEC facilities;
• Washington DC (United States), 4-8 December 2006, for the PTTI
meeting and CGGTTS and TWSTFT Working Groups meetings;
• New Delhi (India), 9-16 December 2006, for the APMP ATF’2006
meeting with an invited presentation;
• Florence (Italy), 19-22 May 2007, for the Fluctuations and Noise SPIE
Meeting with an invited presentation;
meeting with a poster presentation.
G. Petit to:
• Nançay (France), 6 July 2006, for participation in pulsar observations;
• Turin (Italy), 10-13 July 2006, for the CPEM 2006, with a presentation;
• San Francisco (United States), 10-15 December 2006, for a meeting of
the IERS Directing Board, and for the AGU Fall meeting;
• Vienna (Austria), 15-18 April 2007, for the General Assembly of the
European Geophysical Union, with a presentation, and for a meeting of
the IERS Directing Board;
• Paris (France), 3 May 2007, for a workshop “Pulsars théories et
observations”, with a lecture; 15 May 2007, for a review group for the
CNES;
meeting, presentations, meeting of the CCTF Working Group on
Primary Frequency Standards.
R. Felder to ENSAM, Paris (France), 11-13 June 2006, for a training course
on Wolfram Mathematica.
R. Felder and L. Robertsson to:
• Turin (Italy), 10-14 July 2006, for the CPEM 2006;
• NPL, Teddington (United Kingdom), 3-4 October 2006, for the
International Workshop on Optical Frequency Combs for Space.
J. Labot to Noizay (France), 6-9 November 2006, for a training course of
glass blowing.
L. Robertsson to:
• Gothenburg (Sweden), 20 October 2006, for the Symposium on cluster
science and spectroscopy;
• NRC, Ottawa (Canada), 21-26 October 2006, as technical expert for the
assessment of the optical frequency group;
• NMIA, Sydney (Australia), 14-16 May 2007, for discussions on the
calculable capacitor project;
• Tsukuba (Japan), 18 May 2007, for the joint NMIJ-BIPM Workshop on

optical frequency comb, with a presentation on “Laser frequency combs
as working tools for the dissemination of the metre”;
• Singapore, 21 May 2007, for a visit to the National Metrology Centre
SPRING Singapore;
• Bad Honnef (Germany), 4-7 June 2007, for the symposium “Atomic
clocks and fundamental constants”, session chairman.
L. Vitushkin to:
• Istanbul (Turkey), 28 August – 1 September 2006, for the First
Symposium of the International Gravity Field Service, presentation and
the round table on the standardization of the presentation of the results of
the absolute gravity measurements;
• Querétaro (Mexico), 22-27 October 2006, for a presentation at the
Symposium on metrology and for the discussion on the construction of
the site for absolute gravity measurements at CENAM;
• San Jose (United States), 10 November 2006, for a presentation on the
proposed experiment on the measurement of the gravitational constant at
Stanford University;
• College Park (United States), 14 November 2006, for a presentation on
the proposed experiment on the measurement of the gravitational
constant at Maryland University;
• Moscow (Russian Federation), 30 January 2007, for three presentations
at the Moscow Seminar on gravimetry at the O. Yu. Schmidt Institute for
the Physics of the Earth;
• Hsinchu (Chinese Taipei), 12-15 March 2007, for a presentation at the
First Asia Workshop on superconducting gravimetry;
• St Petersburg (Russian Federation), 23-25 April 2007, for the meetings
on the design of the absolute ballistic gravimeter and for the meeting of
the international scientific committee of the Symposium “Terrestrial
gravimetry. Static and mobile measurements – TG-SMM-2007”.
3.17 Activities related to external organizations

E.F. Arias is a member of the IAU, participating in three of its working
groups: on nutation, on the international celestial reference system, and on
the redefinition of UTC. She is an associate member of the IERS, a member
of the International Celestial Reference System Product Centre, and of the
Conventions Product Centre of the IERS. She is a member of the

International VLBI Service (IVS), and of its Analysis Working Group on the
International Celestial Reference Frame. She is the BIPM representative at
the Governing Board of the IGS. She is the BIPM representative to the
International Committee for GNSS. She is a member of the Argentine
Council of Research (CONICET) and an associated astronomer at the
SYRTE, Paris Observatory. She is the corresponding member of the Bureau
des Longitudes. She is the BIPM representative to the Working Party 7A of
the Study Group 7 of the ITU-R, and a member of its Special Rapporteur
Group on the future of UTC.
W. Lewandowski is the BIPM representative to the Civil GPS Service
Interface Committee and Chairman of its Timing Sub-committee. He is a
member of the Scientific Council of Space Research Centre of the Polish
Academy of Sciences. He also chairs a Working Group on Scientific
Metrology at Polish Ministry of Economy. Together with E.F. Arias, he is
the BIPM representative to the Working Party 7A of the Study Group 7 of
the ITU-R.
G. Petit is co-director of the Conventions Centre of the IERS and
representative (until end 2006) to the Directing Board of the IERS. He is
vice-president of the IAU Commission 52 “Relativity in fundamental
astronomy”, member of the IAU Working Group on Numerical Standards in
Fundamental Astronomy, of the IGS Working Group on Clock Products and
of the Fundamental Physics Group of the CNES.
L. Vitushkin is the chairman of the Study Group 2.1.1 on Comparison of
Absolute Gravimeters of the IAG Commission 2 “Gravity field”. He is
member of the International Scientific Committee of the IAG Symposium
“Terrestrial gravimetry. Static and mobile measurements – TG-SMM-2007”
that will take place on 20-23 August 2007 in St Petersburg (Russian
Federation).

E.F. Arias is Executive Secretary of the CCTF. She shares with R. Felder the
Secretariat of the CCL/CCTF Joint Working Group on Frequency Standards.
She is a member of the CCTF Working Groups on Two-Way Satellite Time
and Frequency Transfer, on Primary Frequency Standards and of the Study
Group on time links optimization of the CCTF WG on TAI.
Z. Jiang is a member of the CCTF Working Group on TWSTFT.
W. Lewandowski is Secretary of the CCTF Working Group on TWSTFT and

Secretary of the CCTF Working Group on Global Navigation Satellite
Systems Time-transfer Standards.
L. Vitushkin is the chairman of the CCM Working Group on Gravimetry.
G. Petit is a member of the CCTF working groups on TAI, on algorithms, on
primary frequency standards, and on the CGGTTS.
R. Felder is the Executive Secretary of the CCL and Joint Secretary to the
Joint CCL/CCTF Working Group on Frequency Standards. The report of the
12th meeting of the CCL (2005) has been completed and posted on the BIPM
website with the corresponding working group reports. The updating of the
Mise en pratique list of the CCL, on the BIPM website, has been made.
A meeting of the CCL/CCTF Joint Working Group on Frequency Standards
was held at BIPM on 11-12 September 2006. A list of recommended
frequencies as secondary representations of the second was established and
recommended by the CCTF and the CIPM.
The 13th meeting of the CCL will be held at BIPM, 13-14 September 2007.
It will be preceded by its subsequent working groups (WGDM and
CCL/CCTF Joint Working Group on Frequency Standards).
In the framework of the transfer of key comparison CCL-K11, L. Robertsson
has redesigned the technical protocol.
3.19 Visitors to the Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section

• Dr J. Faller (JILA/NIST), 5 July and 19 December 2006.
• Mrs A. Foks (SRC), 31 August – 22 September 2006.
• Prof. L.-S. Ma, 12-20 September 2006.
• Dr P. Balling (CMI) and Dr M. Merrimaa (MIKES), and Mr G. Mileti
(ON), 12 September 2006.
• Dr Yu. S. Domnin (VNIIFTRI) and Dr F.-L. Hong (NMIJ/AIST),
13 September 2006.
• Mr R. Holzwarth (MENLO Systems), 26 September 2006.
• Mr Y. Kobayashi (AIST/NMIJ), 2 October 2006.
• Ing. M. Orain, M.-C. Mérienne and F. Grisch (ONERA), 6 October
2006.
• Dr P. Tuckey and Mr D. Valat (LNE-SYRTE), 12 October 2006.
• A team of Discovery Channel Television, 14 November 2006.

• Dr H.S. Suh (KRISS) and Dr H. Hatem (NIS), 20 November –
1 December 2006.
• Dr F. Bertinetto and Dr P. Cordiale (INRIM), 27 November –
1 December 2006.
• Dr J.-P. Wallerand (LNE-INM/CNAM), 27-30 November 2006.
• Dr R. Hamid and Dr E. Sahin (UME), 4-8 December 2006.
• Mr M. Fleury (Micro-Contrôle, France), 21 December 2006.
• Dr A. Michaud (NRC), 13 March 2007.
• Ing. X. Messing (BOC Edwards, France), 30 March 2007.
• Dr C. Clarck (NIST), 15 May 2007.
• Mrs M. Miho (Nippon News Network), 6 June 2007.
• Drs Zhengming Wang, Haibo Yuan (NTSC), 4-9 June 2007.
• Dr H. Belaidi (INMETRO), 19 June 2007.
3.20 Guest workers

• Dr O. Orlov (VNIIM), 27 November – 20 December 2006, for the
experiments on the absolute gravity measurements with the laser at
532 nm.
• Dr V. Nalivaev (VNIIMS), July 2006, to work on truncation tests of the
results of g measurements.
4 ELECTRICITY (T.J. WITT*)
4.1 Electrical potential: Josephson effect

(R. Chayramy, D. Reymann** and S. Solve)
4.1.1 Josephson array measurements
The improvement of the Josephson equipment is still in progress. The new
probe holder designed for the calibration of Zener diodes has been
successfully tested and is now operational. A second one, designed for the
compact transportable standard has been assembled. The oversized circular
waveguide is divided into two parts which are assembled for the comparison
and disassembled for transportation. A new Cryoperm© magnetic shield and
its fastening apparatus have been designed. The electronic filters have been
mounted and have shown the expected frequency response. The
reproducibility of the rf power distribution along the waveguide has been
studied. For this purpose, a dedicated power measurement chain has been set
up. It will also serve to characterize the batch of microwave sources that we
use to bias Josephson arrays.
The latest version of a commercial compact programmable microwave-
source has been successfully operated under the conditions of a comparison
of two Josephson array voltage standards (JAVS).
We received two new programmable Josephson arrays: a 10 V SINIS array
was donated by PTB and a 1.2 V SNS array was donated by NIST.
Preliminary tests have confirmed that they both operate well under the BIPM
experimental conditions. In the future, the 10 V chip will be used as primary
standard for Zener calibrations and the 1.2 V chip should be implemented as
the electromotive force standard of the BIPM watt balance.
The activities in the field of voltage measurement were audited in September
2006, with special attention paid to knowledge transfer from D. Reymann
(retired on 30 September 2006) to S. Solve. Both the implementation of the
quality procedures and the knowledge transfer were validated by the external
auditor.
* Retirement on 30 June 2007.

** Until his retirement on 30 September 2006.
4.1.2 Zener diode measurements

In the first series of measurements, the new automatic system developed to
measure the 1.018 V output of Zener voltage standards (see Director’s
Report 2005-2006) has been carried out using two different types of null
detectors: an analog null detector and a digital nanovoltmeter. Even if the
results obtained are coherent, some improvements are still necessary. As the
new system doesn’t share any components with the old one, a period of
measurement with both systems in parallel is planned in the future to detect
any systematic difference and to ensure the traceability of our Zener
measurements.
4.2 Electrical resistance and impedance

4.2.1 DC resistance and quantum Hall effect
(F. Delahaye*, N. Fletcher, R. Goebel and A. Jaouen)
Three long-standing members of the Section retired in 2006 and early 2007.
They have been replaced successfully and, as planned, with three staff of the
Photometry and Radiometry section which closed in 2004 and who have
been working alongside the three retiring staff for the last years.
The routine work of maintenance of the QHR primary reference and the
calibration of the first-level working standards was conducted mainly by the
new staff members, as part of their training under the supervision of
F. Delahaye.
Pairs of QHR samples have been assembled, using the micro-bonding
facility, both in parallel and series configurations. Their comparison with a
single reference element allowed the whole resistance scaling to be checked
with an accuracy of a few parts in 109, including the one-hertz bridge and the
ratio of our Hamon transfer resistor.
The activities in the field of resistance measurement were audited in October
2006, with special attention paid to knowledge transfer to the new staff
members. Both the implementation of the quality procedures and the
knowledge transfer were validated by the external auditor.
The cryogenic current comparator (CCC) constructed and validated last year
is in routine use. A new version of the double current source associated with
* Until his retirement on 31 December 2006.

the CCC was constructed and is currently being tested in the framework of
the progressive renewal of the instrumentation.
A NIST-BIPM bilateral comparison of one-ohm resistance was agreed during
the last CCEM (following the BIPM.EM-K13.a protocol) to allow linking of
a SIM comparison to BIPM.EM-K13.a. The preparation and the
measurements of the BIPM travelling standards have started, and the
comparison should be completed by the end of 2007.
The laboratory housing the QHR facility was completely refurbished. The
measurements carried out just after the reinstallation of the equipment
demonstrated that the refurbishment had no measurable influence on the
results.
4.2.2 Maintenance of a reference of capacitance

(R. Chayramy, F. Delahaye*, R. Goebel and N. Fletcher)
The training of the new section members on the various coaxial bridges in
use for calibrations and for linking capacitance to the QHR reference
continued until the end of 2006. In September 2006, a successful external
audit validated the knowledge transfer to the new staff, as well as the
implementation of the Quality System and procedures.
After continued investigations of a new version of the ac/dc transfer resistors
used in the quadrature bridge, a change in the measurement sequence was
implemented, giving a useful improvement in type A uncertainty. The scatter
on repeat quadrature transfers (from resistance to capacitance) is now better
than 1 part in 108. The largest remaining component in the overall
uncertainty for the measurement chain is the knowledge of the frequency
dependence (between 1 Hz and 1541 Hz) of the resistors. This will be
addressed in the coming months with a campaign of measurements with
reference to the existing BIPM coaxial standard resistors (which have
calculable frequency dependence). This work on the quadrature bridge has
included the first application of Allan variance analysis to the noise
properties of the BIPM coaxial bridges.
In June 2007, the bridges and standards for capacitance work were moved to
the recently refurbished laboratory where the calculable capacitor (see
special projects) will be housed. The BIPM primary reference group of four

10 pF standards was transferred to a new temperature controlled oil bath in

this laboratory (the old bath having reached the end of its serviceable life).
Measurements (including the link to the QHR) before and after the move
showed that there was no significant disruption to the values of the standards.
Calibrations of capacitors for NMIs are due to restart in July 2007. The new
laboratory benefits from improved air-conditioning, and is also closer to the
QHR laboratory. A cable has been installed which allows a direct connection
to the QHR apparatus, meaning that no standards need now be moved to
make the link from QHR to 10 pF. When the calculable capacitor is installed,
it will be possible to make the proposed measurement of RK entirely in one
room.
Measurements of a set of four 10 pF travelling standards have been begun in
preparation for a bilateral comparison with NIST (on-going key comparison
BIPM.EM-K14.a). The relative combined uncertainty for this comparison is
expected to be better than 1 part in 107. A good result at this level of
uncertainty will provide a rigorous validation of the BIPM’s uncertainty
budgets for capacitance traceability. The comparison should also be a useful
exercise for both laboratories in preparation for measurements of RK.
4.3 Time-series analysis of measurement results (T.J. Witt*)

This year we have addressed the problem of calculating the variance of the
mean, var( X ), of a time series of stochastically correlated measurements of
a weakly stationary process. In such cases, the variance of the mean of n
measurements is often calculated incorrectly as var(X)/n. This important
quantity can be correctly expressed in terms of the autocorrelation function
(ACF) at lag k, ρ(k). This approach was used to evaluate var( X ) for white
voltage noise measured at regular time intervals τ 0 through a low pass filter
of bandwidth B by four methods: (1) by developing the expression
ρ(k) = exp(–4Bτ0k) evaluated by estimating B from the sample spectrum;
(2) by noting that ρ (k ) = φ k , φ = exp(−4 Bτ 0 ) < 1 , is the ACF of a first order
autoregressive process, AR(1) for which var( X ) is readily evaluated in
terms of φ ; (3) by estimating var( X ) from the sample ACF, (k), using the
cut-off lag for an AR(1) process; (4) by applying the general method recently
proposed by Zhang (Metrologia, 2006, 43, S276-S281), to estimate var( X )
)
from ρ (k), assuming that the data may be described by a moving average
process with a cut-off lag deduced from the (k) themselves. The values of
* Retirement on 30 June 2007.

var( X ) from the four methods are in good agreement. This provides firm
support of Zhang’s method, which is important because of this method’s
wide scope of application. The results of this work can be applied directly to
some of the ongoing measurements in the Electricity section but the scope of
application is extremely broad and extends well beyond metrology. This
work has recently been published in Metrologia (see list of publications in
the section).
4.4 Thermometry (R. Chayramy, S. Solve and M. Stock)

The internal calibration service for thermometers in the room temperature
range is operated by S. Solve who also works in dc voltage metrology. The
retirement of D. Reymann led to the decision to concentrate on the latter field
and to interrupt the thermometry calibration service for a period of one year.
In autumn 2007, we will review the need for this in-house activity. In the
meantime, BIPM’s thermometers are calibrated at the LNE.
4.5 BIPM ongoing key comparisons in electricity

(R. Chayramy, F. Delahaye*, N. Fletcher, R. Goebel, A. Jaouen,
D. Reymann**, S. Solve and T.J. Witt***)
In the ongoing BIPM key comparison programme, BIPM.EM-K10.b (10 V
Josephson standards, on-site), we have participated in one new 10 V JAVS
comparison, with the NMi VSL (The Netherlands) in October 2006. The
comparison was successful, which is of particular significance since it is the
first Josephson comparison carried out since the retirement of D. Reymann; it
demonstrates the successful transfer of knowledge of this important
comparison programme to the younger staff. For completeness, we also list
the results of INMETRO and NMIA which were not available for inclusion
in last year's Director's Report:
(UINMETRO – UBIPM)/UBIPM = +19 × 10–10, uc /UBIPM = 16 × 10–10
(UNMIA – UBIPM)/UBIPM = +0.9 × 10–10, uc /UBIPM = 1.7 × 10–10
(UNMi VSL – UBIPM)/UBIPM = −1.5 × 10–10, uc /UBIPM = 1.8 × 10–10.

*** Retirement on 30 June 2007.
The noise in the BIPM Josephson array voltage is negligible compared to the
intrinsic noise of a Zener standard so that these comparisons make it possible
to identify sources of error otherwise buried in the noise.
The CCEM has approved our proposal of a modified protocol for the BIPM
bilateral comparisons of Josephson voltage standards, BIPM.EM-K10.a and
BIPM.EM-K10.b. In the modified procedure, not only the final results, but
also the preliminary results will be published, if the work during the
comparison campaign led to a significant improvement of the participant’s
standard. The final results will be considered as a follow-up comparison, and
only these will be displayed in the comparison graphs in the KCDB.
Ongoing BIPM voltage comparisons using electronic voltage standards as
transfer standards (BIPM.EM-K11.a and .b) were made at 10 V with the
NML (Ireland) in April 2007. The results are not yet available.
The results of the comparison with the NCM (Bulgaria) carried out in 2006
(see Director’s Report 2005-2006), are:
At 1.018 V: (UNCM – UBIPM) = –1.39 µV, uc = 1.0 µV
At 10 V: (UNCM – UBIPM) = –0.99 µV, uc = 4.0 µV
where uc is the combined overall standard uncertainty.
Ongoing BIPM resistance comparisons at 1 Ω (BIPM.EM-K13.a) and at
10 kΩ (BIPM.EM-K13.b) were made last year with the INM (Romania) and
the NML (Ireland) but the results were not available for inclusion in last
year's Director's Report. Those results are:
(RINM – RBIPM)/1 Ω = +7.0 × 10–8, uc /1 Ω = 13 × 10–8
(RINM – RBIPM)/10 kΩ = −9 × 10–8, uc /10 kΩ = 9 × 10–8
(RNML – RBIPM)/1 Ω = 0 × 10–8, uc /1 Ω = 19 × 10–8
(RNML – RBIPM)/10 kΩ = +28 × 10–8, uc /10 kΩ = 46 × 10–8
where uc is the combined standard uncertainty.
4.6 Calibrations (R. Chayramy, F. Delahaye*, N. Fletcher, R. Goebel,

A. Jaouen, D. Reymann**, S. Solve and T.J. Witt***)
This year, the Electricity section calibrated the following standards: Zener
diode standards at 1.018 V and 10 V for Egypt, Greece and Serbia; 1 Ω
resistors for Austria, Egypt, Serbia and Thailand; 10 kΩ resistors for Austria,
Denmark, Malaysia and Serbia; 1 pF capacitors for Brazil, Spain, Thailand
and Turkey; 10 pF capacitors for Austria, Brazil, Finland, Greece, Mexico,
Romania, Spain, Thailand and Turkey; and 100 pF capacitors for Austria, the
Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Thailand and
Turkey.
4.7 Publications, lectures, travel: Electricity section

Publications and travel of the section’s staff related to the watt balance and
calculable capacitor projects are listed under section 7.3.1.

1. Stock M., Witt T.J., CPEM 2006 Round table discussion ‘Proposed
changes to the SI’, Metrologia, 2006, 43, 583-587.
2. Reymann D., Solve S., Limits to the Accuracy of 10-V Josephson
Standards Revealed by BIPM On-Site Comparisons, IEEE Trans.
Instrum. Meas., 2007, 56, 555-558.
3. Fletcher N.E., Giblin S.P., Williams J.M., Lines K.J., New Capability for
Generating and Measuring Small DC Currents at NPL, IEEE Trans.
Instrum. Meas., 2007, 56, 326-330.
4. Solve S., Reymann D., Chayramy R., A New Fully Automated
Measurement Chain for Electronic Voltage Standards at 1.018 V, IEEE
Trans. Instrum. Meas., 2007, 56, 588-591.
5. Witt T.J., Using the autocorrelation function to characterize time series
of voltage measurements, Metrologia, 2007, 44, 201-209.

6. Urano C., Reymann D., Solve S. et al., Comparison of two 10 V

Josephson Arrays of the NMIJ-AIST, CPEM 2006 Digest, 2006, 392-
393.
7. Klushin A.M., Solve S. et al., A new millimeterwave synthesizer for
Josephson Voltage Standards, CPEM 2006 Digest, 2006, 368-369.
8. Stock M., Solve S., International comparison of water triple point cells
leading to a more precise definition of the kelvin, Proc. Symposium of
Metrology 2006, Querétaro, Mexico, 2006, 6 pp.
9. Litorja L., Stock M., et al., Final report on the CCPR-S2 supplementary
comparison of area measurements of apertures for radiometry,
Metrologia, 2007, 44, Techn. Suppl., 02002.
4.7.2 BIPM reports

10. Georgieva U., Reymann D., Witt T.J., Bilateral comparison of 1.018 V
and 10 V standards between the NCM (Bulgaria) and the BIPM, April to
June 2006 (part of the ongoing BIPM key comparisons BIPM.EM-K11.a
and .b), Rapport BIPM-2006/05, 7 pp.
11. Reymann D., Solve S., Afonso E., Ferreira V., Landim R.P.,
Comparison of the Josephson voltage standards of the INMETRO and
the BIPM (part of the ongoing BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K10.b),
Rapport BIPM-2006/06, 14 pp.
12. Reymann D., Solve S., Budovsky I., Rigby R., Comparison of the
Josephson voltage standards of the NMIA and the BIPM (part of the
ongoing BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K10.b), Rapport BIPM-
2006/09, 12 pp.
13. Popovici G., Cirneanu L., Simionescu M., Jaouen A., Delahaye F.,
Fletcher N., Witt T.J., Bilateral comparison of 1 Ω standards (ongoing
BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K13.a) between the INM (Romania)
and the BIPM, May 2006, Rapport BIPM-2006/11, 6 pp.
14. Popovici G., Cirneanu L., Simionescu M., Jaouen A., Delahaye F.,
Fletcher N., Witt T.J., Bilateral comparison of 10 kΩ standards (ongoing
BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K13.b) between the INM (Romania)
and the BIPM, April 2006, Rapport BIPM-2006/12, 7 pp.
15. Power O., Jaouen A., Delahaye F., Fletcher N., Witt T.J., Bilateral
comparison of 1 Ω standards (ongoing BIPM key comparison
BIPM.EM-K13.a) between the NML (Ireland) and the BIPM, April

2006, Rapport BIPM-2006/13, 6 pp.
16. Power O., Jaouen A., Delahaye F., Fletcher N., Witt T.J., Bilateral
comparison of 10 kΩ standards (ongoing BIPM key comparison
BIPM.EM-K13.b) between the NML (Ireland) and the BIPM, April
2006, Rapport BIPM-2006/14, 6 pp.
17. Solve S., Chayramy R., van den Brom H.E., Houtzager E., Comparison
of the Josephson voltage standards of NMi VSL and the BIPM (part of
the ongoing BIPM key comparison BIPM.EM-K10.b), Rapport BIPM-
2007/01, 12 pp.

T.J. Witt, M. Stock, F. Delahaye, D. Reymann, N. Fletcher, R. Goebel and
S. Solve to the CPEM 2006, Turin (Italy), 10-14 July 2006:
• D. Reymann presented a lecture entitled “Limits to the accuracy of 10 V
Josephson standards revealed by the BIPM on-site comparisons”, CPEM
2006 Digest, 12-13;
• N. Fletcher presented a lecture entitled “New capability for generating
and measuring small dc currents at NPL”, CPEM 2006 Digest, 152-153;
• S. Solve and D. Reymann presented a poster entitled “A new automated
measurement chain for electronic voltage standards at 1.018 V”, CPEM
2006 Digest, 370-371;
• T.J. Witt presented a lecture entitled “Using the autocorrelation function
to characterize time series of voltage measurements”; CPEM 2006
Digest, 454-455;
• F. Delahaye and R. Goebel participated in the presentation of a poster
entitled: “Preliminary investigation of the use of quantum Hall array
resistance standards as travelling standard”, CPEM 2006 Digest, 514-
515.
F. Delahaye, N. Fletcher, R. Goebel, D. Reymann, S. Solve, M. Stock, and
T.J. Witt attended the following CPEM 2006 satellite meetings in Turin
(Italy):
• CCEM WG on monitoring the kilogram (M. Stock);
• CCEM WGRMO (T.J. Witt);
• CCEM WGLF (R. Goebel, S. Solve, M. Stock, T.J. Witt);
• CCEM GT-RF (S. Solve, M. Stock, T.J. Witt);

• CCEM WGACQHR (R. Goebel, T.J. Witt);
• CCEM WGSP (M. Stock, T.J. Witt);
• EUROMET EM sub-field: dc and quantum metrology (N. Fletcher,
T.J. Witt);
• Specialist meeting on SET (N. Fletcher);
• CPEM Executive Committee (M. Stock, T.J. Witt).
T.J. Witt visited the INRIM electricity laboratories in Turin, on 14 July 2006.
T.J. Witt attended the EUROMET TCEM meeting at EIM, Tessaloniki
(Greece), 18-20 October 2006; he presented a lecture entitled: “Towards new
definitions of some SI units in terms of fundamental constants”.
M. Stock to:
• CENAM, Querétaro (Mexico), to participate at CCPR working group
meetings (WGKC, WGCMC, WGSP), 22-24 October 2006; to present a
plenary lecture at the Metrology Symposium, 25 October 2006, on “Watt
balances and the future of the kilogram” and to present a lecture on
“International comparison of water triple point cells leading to a more
precise definition of the kelvin”;
• Bucharest (Romania), to participate at the EUROMET experts meeting
for Radiometry and Photometry, PHORA, on 19-20 April 2006;
• PTB, Berlin (Germany), 18 October 2006, to attend the first meeting of
the CCT SI Task Group and to give an overview presentation on the new
SI;
• WMO, Geneva (Switzerland), 11 December 2006, to represent the BIPM
at the meeting of the Commission on Instruments and Methods of
Observation (CIMO).
N. Fletcher, R. Goebel and S. Solve attended meetings of the EUROMET
TCEM subfields “DC and Quantum Metrology” and “Low Frequency”,
MIKES, Espoo (Finland), 25-29 June 2007.
S. Solve and R. Chayramy to Delft (The Netherlands), 18-25 October 2006,
for a comparison of Josephson standards with NMi VSL.
S. Solve to:
• NIST, Boulder (United States), 1-8 October 2006, to select and learn to
operate a 1.2 V SNS JAVS;
• LNE, Trappes (France), 2 February 2007, for technical discussions.

T.J. Witt is a member of the Executive Committee of the CPEM.
N. Fletcher is a member of the Program Committee of the CPEM.

T.J. Witt is Executive Secretary of the CCEM. He attended the CCEM
working group meetings at CPEM 2006 in Turin, Italy (see 4.7.3). A meeting
of the Working Group on Proposed Changes to the SI (WGSI) was held on
16-17 January 2007 at the BIPM. The CCEM meeting took place on 14-
15 March 2007, preceded by three days of working group meetings (GT-RF,
WGACQHE, WGLF, WGRMO, WGSP).
M. Stock is Executive Secretary of the CCPR and an ex-officio member of all
CCPR working groups. The CCPR meeting was held on 21-22 June 2007,
preceded by three days of working group meetings (WGKC, WGCMC,
WGSP, WGUV). M. Stock was Executive Secretary of the CCT until
September 2006 and participated in the elaboration of the report of the CCT
SI Task Group on implications of the kelvin redefinition. He is also a
member of the CCEM Working Group on Strategic Planning and of the
Working Group on Proposed Modifications of the SI. He became Executive
Secretary of the CCEM in July 2007.
4.10 Visitors to the Electricity section

• Drs J. Butorac and D. Ilic (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering and Computing, Croatia) and Mr R. di Silva (LNE),
14 September 2006; visits to the impedance, voltage and watt balance
laboratories.
• Drs D. Woldman (scientific advisor to Dr W. Anderson) and A. Gilla
(NIST), 4 October 2006; discussions of work in the Electricity section.
• Mr F. Overney (METAS), 7-8 September 2006, external quality audit on
the capacitance measurements.
• Dr S. Djordjevic (LNE), 19-20 September 2006, external quality audit
on the dc voltage calibrations.
• Dr D. Inglis (NRC), 16-17 October 2006, external quality audit on the
resistance measurements.
• Dr R. Behr (PTB), 14-17 November 2006, delivery, operation and

technical discussions on a 10 V SINIS array.
• Dr S. Djordjevic and Mr O. Seron (LNE), 14-17 November 2006, visit
and discussions on voltage standards calibration setups.
• Dr C. Buchal (Jülicher SQUID GmbH) and Dr O. Monnoye (LNE),
23 February 2007, visit of the dc voltage laboratory and technical
discussions.
• Dr A. Katkov (VNIIM), 15 March 2007, visit and discussions on the
organization of a comparison of voltage standards.
• Dr K. Kyu-Tae, Dr K. Tae-Weon and Dr S. Yang Sup (KRISS),
16 March 2007, for a visit to the dc voltage laboratory.
• Dr K. Koji and Dr N. Yasuhiro (NMIJ), 16 March 2007, for a visit to the
dc voltage laboratory.
• Dr W. van Bommel (Philips Lighting), President of the CIE, 2 April
2007, visit to the watt balance and electricity laboratories.
• Messrs J. Ferris, J. Gust and C. Hockert (NCSLI), 3 April 2007, visit to
the watt balance and electricity laboratories.
• Mrs T. Cincar-Vujovic and Mr Z. Sofranac (DMDM), 17 April 2007,
visit, discussions and collecting a voltage standard after calibration.
5 IONIZING RADIATION (P.J. ALLISY-ROBERTS)
5.1 X- and γ-rays

(P.J. Allisy-Roberts, D.T. Burns, C. Kessler, S. Picard and P. Roger)
5.1.1 Dosimetry standards and equipment
A new determination of the air kerma rate in the 60Co reference field has
been made using the variable-volume ionization chamber designed and
manufactured at the BIPM, and a differential method in which changes in
ionization current are measured for known changes in the chamber volume.
The experiment required a large number of dimensional measurements, made
using the co-ordinate measuring machine of the BIPM, as well as ionometric
measurements for each chamber size, corrected for the effects of ion
recombination, polarity, orientation and stem scatter. Also required were

high-precision Monte Carlo calculations of kwall and kan for each chamber
size. When analysed differentially, the data for the variable-volume chamber
give an air kerma rate higher than the existing standard by 2.7 parts in 103.
Of this, 1.5 parts in 103 are due to the different methods used, differential or
direct. The remaining 1.2 parts in 103 arise from a difference between the
direct volume determination for the new chamber and that for the existing
standard. These results were presented to the CCRI and a decision was taken
on the best estimate. This change will be implemented, along with the
changes to the standard proposed in 2005, following the publication of the
latest results in the open literature. At the same time, the higher activity (CIS-
Bio) 60Co source will be adopted as the reference field.
The results of Monte Carlo calculations of correction factors for the 60Co
absorbed dose to water standard were presented to the CCRI. Although these
indicate an overall change of 4 parts in 103, it was agreed to await the results
of the BIPM calorimetric absorbed dose standard before a decision is made
on the implementation of these changes. The results will be published in
Physics in Medicine and Biology.
An absorbed dose graphite calorimeter, of a new design, is currently being
constructed at the BIPM. The conception is such that the specific heat
capacity of graphite at ambient temperature is used to obtain the absorbed
dose directly from the measured temperature rise. For an improved
understanding of the various uncertainties involved, a series of differential
measurements of the specific heat capacity of graphite have been carried out
during the past year, particularly to identify the causes of certain systematic
effects. These measurements, combined with earlier direct measurements,
have contributed to a robust uncertainty budget. The specific heat capacity of
a particular graphite sample has been determined with a precision of 9 parts
in 104.
The specific heat capacity of synthetic sapphire, a reference material for
specific heat capacity, has been determined recently with a combined relative
uncertainty of 9 parts in 104 at ambient temperature. The result is in
agreement with previous determinations made by other groups. The present
study gives support to the reliability of the data and the stated uncertainty
obtained for graphite, not only concerning the experimental method but also
to the empirical analysis technique that is applied to the measured
temperature-time dependent data.
An ensemble of samples has been machined from the same ultra-pure

graphite block as the calorimeter core. These are currently being measured to
determine the reproducibility of the measurements and to establish the value
of the specific heat capacity of the core.
Most parts of the graphite calorimeter have now been machined and are
being prepared for assembly.
Work on the BIPM mammographic facility has continued in preparation for
mammography dosimetry comparisons. A new primary standard has been
constructed, designed to minimize the uncertainty of the required correction
factors. Initial measurements have led to an optimization of the air
temperature measurement. A difference of around 4 parts in 103 between the
new and existing free-air chambers has promoted a study of the effect of the
air gaps surrounding the collector plate. Measurements to investigate the
electric field uniformity are planned. A molybdenum target x-ray tube will be
installed later in 2007. Previous work on the establishment of tungsten-anode
mammographic qualities and on the response of ion chambers in these beams
has been published as two BIPM reports.
Part of this work was the Monte Carlo calculation of correction factors for
the BIPM x-ray standards, including the effects of photon transmission,
scatter and fluorescence from the tungsten aperture. The calculations for low-
energy x-rays indicate the presence of fluorescence from the aperture and a
combined correction factor of up to 2 parts in 103. A correction of similar
magnitude has been evaluated for the medium-energy x-ray standard,
although in this case the dominant effect is from energetic electrons coming
from the aperture reaching the collecting region. More importantly, the
medium-energy calculations have led to the identification of a scatter
component from the aperture support. The measured (and calculated) effect
is over 6 parts in 103 at 250 kV and explains the trend with radiation quality
seen in the results of a number of BIPM comparisons over the last thirty
years.
A number of aspects of the dosimetry programme were presented as papers
and posters at the Workshop on Absorbed Dose and Air Kerma Primary
Standards, held at the LNE (France) in May 2007 and jointly organized by
the LNE-LNHB (France) and the BIPM.
Primary measurements and reference chamber calibrations have continued in
all of the reference x- and γ-ray beams, including the mammographic
radiation qualities. Calibrations and comparisons are underpinned by a
significant effort in equipment calibration and maintenance, as required by

the BIPM Quality System.
5.1.2 Dosimetry comparisons

Air kerma comparisons in low-energy x-rays were made with the LSDG
(Belgium) in July 2006 and with the NRC (Canada) in March 2007, and in
medium-energy x-rays with the LSDG (Belgium) in July 2006, the NMIJ
(Japan) in September 2006, and in June 2007 with the LNHB (France) and
the NPL (United Kingdom). Additionally, a third set of measurements was
made in September 2006 for the low-energy x-ray comparison with the NMIJ
(Japan). An absorbed dose to water comparison in 60Co γ-rays with the
ENEA (Italy) was carried out in April 2007. Draft reports for five of these
eight comparisons have been issued, along with a draft report of a previous
x-ray comparison with the NIM (China). Reports have been published of
previous air kerma comparisons with the OMH (Hungary) in 60Co γ-rays and
with the NIST (United States) in medium-energy x-rays. The CCRI
comparison of dosimetry for industrial radiation processing at high absorbed
dose (kGy) levels, piloted by the BIPM, was published in Radiation Physics
and Chemistry.
A draft B summary report of all air kerma comparisons in 60Co has been
approved, in principle, by the CCRI(I). A number of related comparison
reports for the BARC (India), GUM (Poland), ITN (Portugal), NIM (China),
and the NPL (United Kingdom), are still under discussion. Reports of
previous x-ray comparisons with the ARPANSA (Australia), BEV (Austria)
and the NMi (The Netherlands) are in preparation.
The four transfer chambers for the high-energy absorbed-dose CCRI key
comparison continue to be measured periodically in the BIPM 60Co beam.
One of these chambers will be used, together with a well-type ionization
chamber, for the upcoming CCRI comparison of brachytherapy dosimetry for
192
Ir sources to be piloted by the BIPM.
5.1.3 Calibration of national standards for dosimetry

A review of calibration procedures and an external audit of the calibration
services were completed in November 2006. No non-compliances were
recorded.
Six series of calibrations of national standards were made in medium-energy

x-rays for the IAEA, LNHB (France), and the NIS (Egypt). Two series were
made in low-energy x-rays for the IAEA and the NIS (Egypt).
Eleven calibrations of national standards were carried out in the BIPM γ-ray
beams in terms of air kerma and absorbed dose to water, as requested by the
ČMI (Czech Republic), KRISS (Rep. of Korea), NIS (Egypt), and the IAEA.
Two calibrations in terms of ambient dose equivalent were made for the
CRRD (Argentina).
The IAEA/WHO dosimetry assurance programme continued to be supported
with reference irradiations in the 60Co beam.
5.2 Radionuclides
(P.J. Allisy-Roberts, S. Courte, C. Michotte, M. Nonis and G. Ratel)
5.2.1 Comparison of activity measurements of a 55Fe solution
The last results sent by the 18 laboratories that took part in the measurements
of a solution of 55Fe prepared and distributed by the NPL were received by
the BIPM at the end of November 2006. The draft A report was then
prepared and distributed to the participants for comments and correction. The
results were also discussed during the CCRI(II) meeting in May 2007.
Although some comments are still awaited, a draft B report is in preparation.
Some pertinent features of the comparison are outlined here.
The solution of FeCl3 in 1 mol/L HCl with 10 μg/g of inactive FeCl3 as a
carrier was dispatched to 19 laboratories, 17 of which sent 25 independent
results. Following the CCRI(II) approved CIPM MRA procedures, only
16 participants using primary methods are eligible to be used for the
evaluation of a key comparison reference value. No γ-ray emitting impurity
was detected in the distributed solution by any of the 11 laboratories that
carried out impurity tests. Twelve different methods were used and these can
be divided into four main groups: methods using proportional counters
(pressurized or not) in conjunction with NaI(Tl) detectors or alone, liquid-
scintillation methods (CIEMAT/NIST, TDCR, or 4π(LS)β-γ coincidence
efficiency tracing), 4π calorimetry, and methods based on counting x-rays
under defined solid angles with different kinds of detectors. The
characteristics of the detectors and devices used by the laboratories in their
activity determination are completely described in the draft A report. Where
possible, an analysis of the results, method by method, was carried out to
highlight any potential method-related source of uncertainty. Apart from two
values, which may be outliers, the results show a remarkable homogeneity

with those obtained by liquid-scintillation techniques being in good
agreement. The use of 54Mn as a tracer instead of 3H may increase the
precision of the measurements but does not really alter the final value of the
activity determination. The values obtained with proportional counters using
an efficiency tracing show a larger spread. The other methods listed, such as
x-ray counting or calorimetry, are in good agreement with the mean value of
the comparison. However, some unresolved problems remain, particularly at
the BIPM, and further investigations are necessary to clarify the origin of the
discrepancy. After the investigations, an additional comparison involving the
BIPM, the ENEA, and one or two linking laboratories, as proposed at the
CCRI(II) meeting, will be organized. Unfortunately, the overall outcome of
the present comparison shows no improvement compared to that of a similar
exercise organized in 1996 in the frame of the ICRM. Another, more
encouraging conclusion is that an objective although slightly optimistic
assessment of the uncertainties was identified through using the Birge
criterion.
5.2.2 International Reference System (SIR) for gamma-ray emitting

radionuclides
During 2006, the BIPM received 30 ampoules from 13 laboratories; i.e. one
ampoule containing 65Zn from the BARC, one containing 22Na from the
CIEMAT, two ampoules from the ČMI-IIR (one containing 56Co and one
131
I), two ampoules from the IFIN-HH (one containing 60Co and one 134Cs),
one ampoule containing 166Hom from the IRA-METAS, four from the IRMM
all containing 237Np (for a link to a EUROMET comparison and to obtain a
KCRV value for this radionuclide), nine ampoules from the LNE-LNHB
(one ampoule containing 51Cr, two 54Mn, one 75Se, four 85Kr and one 111In),
one ampoule containing 51Cr from the LNMRI-IRD, two ampoules from the
NMIJ (one containing 57Co and one 133Ba), three ampoules from the NPL
(one containing 54Mn and two 201Tl), one ampoule containing 54Mn from the
OMH (now called the MKEH), two from the PTB (one containing 22Na and
one 186Re) and one ampoule containing 241Am from the VNIIM (for a link to
a COOMET comparison).
All the submissions, except three 237Np ampoules having different masses
and the four 85Kr ampoules submitted for the gas pressure study, had been
made to generate equivalence values in the BIPM ongoing key comparisons.
Including the newly registered measurements for 2006, the cumulative
number of ampoules measured since the beginning of the SIR, in 1976, is

now 923, corresponding to a total of 673 independent results for 63 different
radionuclides.
The low activity in the ampoule of 241Am produced an ionization current of
only about 310 fA in the SIR chambers so it was decided to measure the
ampoule several times under different experimental conditions, both with the
original SIR measurement chain and the newly developed electronic chain;
the final result has been taken as the weighted mean of the individual
measurements. A correction factor, deduced from the work of A. Rytz
(Ratel G., Michotte C., BIPM comparison BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Am-241 of the
activity measurements of the radionuclide 241Am, Metrologia, 2003, 40,
Tech. Suppl., 06001), to take into account the high density of the solution of
241
Am was applied and the final result is in agreement with the other entries
for this radionuclide. This 241Am submission from the VNIIM was made to
link the results of a recent COOMET comparison.
With the formal submission of the standardized activity results for 237Np,
which constitutes a new SIR key comparison, the final report has now been
published and this also contains the links for an earlier EUROMET
comparison.
The NPL identified a preparation problem with the first ampoule of 201Tl they
submitted and this was withdrawn, their subsequent submission is in good
agreement with other participants.
In accordance with a request from the CIPM, the procedures for the SIR have
been fully documented and an external peer-review audit was held in
November 2006. Some modifications required to clarify the procedures were
recommended and almost all have been implemented, with just two
laboratory instructions requiring further detail.
The year 2006 has also seen the first full twelve months of running the new
data acquisition chain for the SIR in parallel with the present system. The
results show agreement to about 10–4 which is well within the measurement
uncertainties. The systems will continue in parallel until the end of 2007 at
which time the new system will be used to measure the SIR ampoules, as
long as the present validation and testing continues to indicate the required
stability. The new system has been fully documented ready for this
implementation.
The development of the extension of the SIR to short-lived radionuclides
using a well-type NaI(Tl) transfer instrument is progressing. The detector and
source holders and a special lead shield were designed and manufactured in
the BIPM workshop. The whole system has been tested extensively and
measurements carried out to enable the uncertainty evaluation for the planned
comparison measurements. A 99Tcm solution produced and standardized at
the LNE-LNHB was measured in the SIR and in the transfer instrument and
the results are promising. Once the analysis is complete, this first 99Tcm
measurement in the transfer instrument will enable the linking factor to the
SIR to be calculated ready for the first comparison on-site at an NMI.
5.2.3 Gamma spectrometry

No significant impurities were detected in any of the 131I, 166Hom and 65Zn
solutions submitted to the SIR. The expected 57Co and 58Co impurities were
measured in a 56Co solution. Some 99Mo was detected in the 99Tcm solution
that was measured in both the SIR and the SIR transfer instrument. A request
from the BIPM was made to the CCRI for an NMI to provide some support
to calibrate the hyper-pure germanium spectrometer.
5.3 Publications, lectures, travel: Ionizing Radiation section

1. Allisy-Roberts P.J., Ambrosi P., Bartlett D.T., Coursey B.M., DeWerd
L.A., Fantuzzi E., McDonald J.C., Measurement Quality Assurance for
Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry, ICRU Report 76, Journal of the ICRU,
2006, 6(2), 50 pp.
2. Burns D.T., Allisy-Roberts P.J., Desrosiers M.F., Nagy V. Yu, Sharpe
P.H.G., Laitano R.F., Mehta K., Schneider M.K.H., Zhang Y.L., CCRI
supplementary comparison of standards for absorbed dose to water in
60
Co gamma radiation at radiation processing dose levels, Rad. Phys.
Chem., 2006, 75(9), 1087-1092.
3. Burns D.T., O’Brien M., Comparison of the NIST and BIPM standards
for air kerma in medium-energy x-rays, J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stand.
Technol., 2006, 111, 385-391.
4. Ma L.-S., Picard S., Zucco M., Chartier J.-M., Robertsson L., Balling
P., Kren P., Qian J., Liu Z., Shi C., Alonso M.V., Xu G., Tan S.L.,
Nyholm K., Henningsen J., Hald J., Rowley W.R.C., Barwood G.P.,
Windeler R., Absolute frequency measurement of the R(12) 26-0 and
R(106) 28-0 transitions in I2 at λ = 543 nm, IEEE Trans. Instrum.

127
Meas., 2006, 55, 876-880.

5. Ratel G., Median and weighted median as estimators for the key
comparison reference value (KCRV), Metrologia, 2006, 43(4), S244-
S248.
6. Ratel G., Michotte C., Bobin C., Moune M., Coursol N., Update of the
ongoing comparison BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Ga-67 to include the activity
measurements of the LNE-LNHB, France, Metrologia, 2006, 43, Tech.
Suppl., 06008.
5.3.2 BIPM reports

7. Kessler C., Roger P., Burns D.T., Allisy P.J., Machula G., Csete I.,
Rabus H., Comparison of the standards for air kerma of the BIPM and
the OMH for 60Co gamma radiation, Rapport BIPM-2006/07, 14 pp.
8. Kessler C., Establishment of simulated mammography radiation
qualities at the BIPM, Rapport BIPM-2006/08, 8 pp.
9. Kessler C., Burns D.T., Büermann L., de Prez L.A., A study of the
response of ionization chambers to mammography beams, Rapport
BIPM-2007/02, 8 pp.

P.J. Allisy-Roberts to:
• Trappes (France), 4 July 2006, to represent the BIPM at the opening of
the new LNE electricity laboratory;
• London (United Kingdom), 18 July 2006, 16 January, 17 April and
28 June 2007 for the editorial board of the Journal of Radiological
Protection; 5 June 2007 to attend a seminar at the Institute of Physics on
project management;
• Vienna (Austria), 18 September 2006, to attend the IAEA General
Conference and make a presentation to the intergovernmental
organizations on the transport of metrological samples;
• Leeds (United Kingdom), 17-18 October 2006, for the DTI Measure-
ment Advisory Committee (MAC);
• LNE (France), 13 November 2006 and 16 March 2007, to attend the
Comité Scientifique for ionizing radiation;
• PTB, Berlin (Germany) 6-7 December 2006, to participate in a

Workshop on research cooperation in Europe, as a DTI invitee;
• NPL (United Kingdom), 19-20 February 2007, to chair the MAC
working group on acoustics and ionizing radiation.
P.J. Allisy-Roberts and C. Kessler to Paris (France), 9-11 May 2007, to
attend the joint LNE-BIPM Workshop on Absorbed Dose and Air Kerma
Primary Standards.
D.T. Burns to:
• Athens (Greece), 26-27 October 2006, as the BIPM representative at the
EUROMET Ionizing Radiation Contact Persons meeting;
• Columbus (Ohio, United States), 9-15 November 2006, to attend the
meetings of the Main Commission of the ICRU and the Fundamental
Quantities and Units Committee;
• Barcelona (Spain), 22-23 March 2007, to attend a meeting of the ICRU
Report Committee on Key Data for Measurement Standards in the
Dosimetry of Ionizing Radiation;
• Paris (France), 9-11 May 2007, to attend the joint LNE-BIPM Workshop
on Absorbed Dose and Air Kerma Primary Standards and present two
papers;
• IAEA, Vienna (Austria), 25-29 June 2007, as a consultant to the IAEA
on the revision of the IAEA Technical Report TRS-374.
D.T. Burns and C. Kessler to Seoul (Rep. of Korea), 28 August –
1 September 2006, to participate in the World Congress in Medical Physics
and Biomedical Engineering; C. Kessler presented a poster on correction
factors for the BIPM free air chamber.
C. Kessler and C. Michotte to Teddington (United Kingdom), 26-27 March
2007, to attend an International Workshop on Monte Carlo Codes at the
NPL.
C. Michotte to Paris (France), 27 November 2006, to participate in an ICRM
working group meeting comparing Monte Carlo codes used in γ-ray
spectrometry.
C. Michotte and G. Ratel to Saclay (France), 19-20 March 2007, to
participate in a VERMI workshop on coincidence measurements at the LNE-
LNHB.
S. Picard to:
• Coimbra (Portugal), 17-22 September 2006, to participate in the
10th International Symposium on Radiation Physics, and to present
“Towards an absorbed dose calorimeter at the BIPM: Determination of
the Specific Heat Capacity of Graphite”;
• Paris (France), 7 November 2006, to participate in the one-day
conference on applications of the finite element software Comsol,
including an interactive mini-course;
• LNE (France), 9-11 May 2007, to attend the joint LNE-BIPM Workshop
on Absorbed Dose and Air Kerma Dosimetry and to present a paper and
a poster on the BIPM graphite calorimetry research.
G. Ratel to:
• Paris (France), 8-11 January 2007, to attend two ICRM WGs, one on
Liquid-Scintillation, the second on Life Sciences;
• Fontenay-aux-Roses (France), 5-6 February 2007, to attend the
Treatment initiatives after radiological accidents training course;
• Ispra (Italy), 5-6 March 2007, to attend the Scientific Committee of the
ICRM 2007 conference to be held in Cape Town in September 2007 and
the Executive board of the ICRM;
• Rungis (France), 15-19 March 2007, to attend les “Cinquièmes
rencontres des personnes compétentes en radioprotection” to maintain
his radiation protection certification.

P.J. Allisy-Roberts is the Chairman of a joint Working Group for the UK
national measurement system programme for ionizing radiation and acoustics
and the Chairman of the UK Ionising Radiation Health and Safety Forum.
She is the BIPM representative on the IAEA SSDL Scientific Committee, a
member of the Comité Scientifique Rayonnements Ionisants (LNE, France),
on the editorial board of the Journal of Radiological Protection and the
Comité editorial of the Revue Française de Métrologie, and a referee for
Physics in Medicine and Biology, Medical Physics and the British Journal of
Radiology.
D.T. Burns is the BIPM representative at the ICRU, a member of the ICRU
Committee on Fundamental Quantities and Units and a member of an ICRU
Report Committee. He is the BIPM contact person at the EUROMET for
ionizing radiation and radioactivity and a consultant to the IAEA. He is a

referee for Physics in Medicine and Biology and for Medical Physics.
G. Ratel is the BIPM representative at the ICRM of which he is joint Vice-
President. He is also a referee for Metrologia, Applied Radiation and
Isotopes and Nuclear Instruments and Methods.

P.J. Allisy-Roberts is Executive Secretary of the CCRI and its three sections,
all of which met during the month of May 2007 and included two invited
seminars as well as two working group meetings. She is also Executive
Secretary of the CCAUV, which met in September 2006 followed by the
CCAUV RMO WG. She participated in the CCRI RMO WG, which met in
November 2006 and made arrangements for the Coincidence Workshop in
March 2007 and the Extended SIR WG in April. This last year has also seen
the publication of a new Monographie 6 and a further volume of
Monographie 5 in support of the CCRI(II).
She and D.T. Burns are members of the CCRI(I) Working Group on
Metrological Equivalence (key comparisons) and of the CCRI(I) Working
Group on Brachytherapy Standards. They both played a significant role in
the Scientific Committee for the joint LNE-LNHB/CCRI Dosimetry
Workshop held in conjunction with the CCRI(I) in May 2007.
C. Michotte is the coordinator of the CCRI(II) Working Group on the SIR
Transfer Instrument. C. Michotte is the contact person at the BIPM and
rapporteur for the JCGM/WG1 that met in October 2006 and April 2007.
G. Ratel is a member of the CCRI(II) working groups on the extension of the
SIR to beta emitters (which met in Sèvres on 12-13 April 2007), on key
comparisons (which met in Sèvres on 17 November 2006 and 21 May 2007,
attended with P.J. Allisy-Roberts and C. Michotte), on measurement
uncertainties, and of the realization of the becquerel (which met in Sèvres on
22 May 2007 and for which he is the rapporteur).
G. Ratel and C. Michotte have contributed significantly to the special issue
of Metrologia for radionuclide metrology as authors and, together with
P.J. Allisy-Roberts and D.T. Burns, as referees.
5.6 Visitors to the Ionizing Radiation section

• Dr P. Cassette (LNE-LNHB) and Mr I. Constantin (IFIN), 10 July 2006.
• Mrs I. Le Garrérès, Messrs. Branger and D. Lacour (LNE-LNHB),
11 July 2006.
• Dr M.-N. Amiot, Mrs I. Moreau, Messrs. M. Morin and F. Rigoulay
(LNE-LNHB), 14 September 2006.
• Drs K. R. Shortt and A. Fajgelj (IAEA), 5 October 2006.
• Dr P. Costa (LNMRI-IRD), 20 November 2006.
• Mr A. Pearce (NPL), 20 November 2006.
• Dr A. Yunoki (NMIJ/AIST), 21 November 2006.
• Mrs E. Le Ray and C. Cholet (ASN, Paris), 24 November 2006.
• Dr B. Chauvenet (LNE-LNHB), 11 January 2007.
• Dr M.-G. Iroulart (LNE-LNHB), 27 March 2007.
• Dr Zhang Hui (NIM), 31 May 2007.
• Prof. D.B. Hibbert (Univ. New South Wales), 14 June 2007.
• Mr C. Bobin (LNE-LNHB), 20 June 2007.
5.7 Guest workers

• Dr N. Reynaert (LSDG), 3-7 July 2006.
• Prof. M.G. Cox (NPL), 24-26 July 2006.
• Drs N. Saito and T. Kurosawa (NMIJ), 17–22 September 2006.
• Dr L. Karam (NIST), for the audit of the SIR Quality System, 15-
16 November 2006.
• Dr I. Csete (MKEH), for the audit of the Dosimetry Quality System, 22-
24 November 2006.
• Drs N. Rabie and N. Khaled (NIS), 24 January – 7 February 2007.
• Dr J. Mc Caffrey (NRC), 5-8 March 2007.
• Miss M.-K. O’Brien (United States), 2-27 April 2007.
• Dr A. Guerra (ENEA), 16-20 April 2007.
• Mr L. Czap (IAEA), 21–25 May 2007.
6 CHEMISTRY (R.I. WIELGOSZ)
6.1 Gas metrology programme

(M.B. Esler*, E. Flores, P. Moussay, J. Viallon and R.I. Wielgosz)
6.1.1 Ozone photometer comparison programme
(P. Moussay and J. Viallon)
In October 2006, the protocol of a new key comparison coordinated by the
BIPM (BIPM.QM-K1 – Ozone at ambient level) was distributed to potential
participants, posted on the BIPM website and, finally, presented during the
Gas Analysis Working Group meeting held at the KRISS. The comparison
will be run as an on-going key comparison, with a call for participants every
two years. The first participant of the 2007-2008 cycle was the NIST in
January 2007. Six other participants are expected in 2007.
A generalized least-square regression, already implemented in the software
OzonE, and developed by Dr W. Bremser (BAM), has been included in the
processing of ozone photometer comparison results. The advantages of using
a generalized least-square regression approach have been described in an
article written in collaboration with W. Bremser and submitted to Metrologia
in May 2007.
An external audit of the Quality System established for the activities directly
linked with the ozone photometer comparisons was successfully undertaken
in December 2006.
Upgrade of the NIST Standard Reference Photometers (SRPs)

Following the study of systematic biases and measurement uncertainties in
NIST SRPs, which was published in Metrologia in October 2006, the NIST
established a “NIST SRP upgrade kit” in order to minimize the two major
biases revealed by the study. The kit includes a modified source block and
new gas cells. The thermal insulation of the source block has been improved
in the modified version, in contrast to the BIPM’s system which is based on a
thermoelectric cooling system, to prevent heating of the gas by the UV lamp
maintained at 60 °C. The new gas cells are quartz tubes closed at both ends
by optically sealed quartz windows which are still parallel but tilted. A
* Until 20 October 2006.

similar system, tested at the BIPM during the study, had proven to be
successful in avoiding multiple reflections of the light beam.
One “SRP upgrade kit” was installed on BIPM-SRP32 in January 2007 by
J. Norris (NIST) and P. Moussay, and an installation procedure developed.
The BIPM is now able to install upgrade kits for those participants in the key
comparison BIPM.QM-K1 maintaining a NIST SRP as a national standard.
Development of a laser-based SRP

The programme to develop a candidate primary ozone photometer based on a
frequency-doubled laser as a light source has continued. The light intensity
acquisition chain has been modified to use UV photodiodes instead of the
original phototubes in one of the SRPs maintained by the BIPM. Tests have
shown that the noise is maintained at the same low level. In parallel,
instabilities in the argon laser power were identified as coming from
variations of the cooling water temperature. The laser cooling system has
been improved to remove this instability source completely. Additional
optical filters have been placed in the laser beam to reject the residual portion
of the fundamental wavelength (514 nm) in the frequency-doubled (257 nm)
beam. The beam diameter has been increased and its power reduced before
allowing it to enter the modified SRP. The optical bench of the SRP itself
was replaced in February 2007 to use the upgraded SRP32 instrument, which
contains the new gas cells in quartz with tilted windows. Initial
measurements of ozone concentration performed with this first version of a
laser-based SRP succeeded in measuring ozone mole fractions in dry air
within 5 % of the values determined by a mercury lamp-based SRP. The next
step will focus on reducing the noise level of the laser system using a
balanced detection system.
6.1.2 Primary NO2 gas standard facility

(M.B. Esler*, E. Flores and P. Moussay)
The facility was upgraded to include a nitrogen generator (including nitrogen
purifier) and new control and data acquisition software for the Fourier
transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, capable of transferring real-time
results. The upgrade will allow sub-nmol/mol mole fractions of water to be
obtained in the carrier gas and avoid possible reactions in the permeation

tube chamber. The nitrogen generator facility is expected to produce dry

nitrogen with purity of 99.999 999 % (with less that 1 nmol/mol of H2O and
some other molecules such as oxygen).
The FTIR plexiglass enclosure was redesigned to keep the internal water
concentration lower than 2 μmol/mol. The Aldrich Collection of FTIR
Spectra Edition II library, that contains spectra of 18 454 pure compounds,
was acquired to analyze impurities from the permeation system. Studies of
the consistency of nitrogen dioxide concentrations calculated from
permeation rates and those measured by various analysers are currently
underway. Comparisons of NO2 mole fractions determined from the
permeation system and certified values in gas cylinders based on static
gravimetry are planned. Following the request of the CCQM Gas Analysis
Working Group, a planned future comparison of NO2 gas standards will be
extended to include the comparison of spectroscopic methods for gas
concentration determination.
6.1.3 NO gas standard comparison facility

(M.B. Esler*, P. Moussay and R.I. Wielgosz)
All measurements related to the BIPM coordinated study, CCQM-P73, were
performed over the period August 2006 – October 2007. Gravimetrically
prepared NO standards in the range (30-70) µmol/mol from 11 NMIs were
analyzed using two independent methods (chemiluminescence and UV
absorption) as well as FTIR spectroscopy for impurity analysis. A new set of
validation studies was carried out in January 2007 to confirm analysis
uncertainties. A reference value for the comparison was calculated from the
most consistent set of gas standards, and it could be shown that in all but one
case that impurity measurement problems were the cause of discrepancies of
certified values from the reference value. The comparison report’s draft A
was presented to the CCQM-GAWG in April 2007, and the draft B report
circulated to the working group in June 2007. The facility has also been
upgraded using new software that allows direct communication between the
UV analyzer and the computer thus removing the need of the digital
voltmeter, and with no degradation in system performance.

6.2 Organic analysis programme

(A. Daireaux, R. Josephs, S. Westwood and R.I. Wielgosz)
The organic analysis programme within the Chemistry section has developed
a facility to undertake purity assessments using robust procedures for the
identification and summation of impurities. A dedicated facility for the larger
scale handling, processing and storage of materials has also been established.
A laboratory refurbishment to provide an area for controlled gravimetric
transfer of materials and the accurate preparation of calibration solutions was
completed in 2007. The laboratory capabilities at BIPM are supported by
external collaborations for specialized services such as elemental
microanalysis, particle sizing and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
6.2.1 Method development

Method development and validation studies required for use in the
production and characterisation of the CCQM-P20.e pilot study materials
have been completed and were broadened to include the needs of the planned
CCQM-P20.f pilot study. For CCQM-P20.e the main focus has been the
identification and quantification of theophylline and related structure
compounds from the xanthine group. For CCQM-P20.f, methods for the
determination of the steroid glycosides digoxin and digitoxin, and various
related structure cardiac glycosides as well as their corresponding aglycones
have been developed. Procedures developed for this purpose in the last year
include:
• LC-MS/MS methods providing both qualitative identification data and
permitting the quantification of xanthines and cardiac glycosides as well
as for assessing the homogeneity of inherent impurities in the digoxin
material.
• LC-UV methods for identification and quantification by external
calibration and for assessing the homogeneity of the main component
and related structure impurities for the xanthine components of CCQM-
P20.e. The same approach is being developed for the analysis of digoxin
in the CCQM-P20.f candidate material.
• DSC techniques for estimation of the mole fraction content of high
purity samples of theophylline.
• Karl Fischer titration using heated oven transfer for determination of
low-level moisture content in solid samples.
• Protocols for the preparation, stability testing and homogeneity

assessment of theophylline materials containing gravimetrically-defined
levels of related structure impurities and of digoxin materials.
Supporting studies have also been undertaken on analysis of these materials
by GC-MS (for volatile organic impurities) and thermogravimetric analysis
(for total volatile impurities).
6.2.2 Coordination of CCQM-P20 and development of CCQM-K55

In the autumn of 2006, the homogeneity and stability assessments of the two
theophylline candidate materials for CCQM-P20.e, the first comparison
coordinated by BIPM, were completed successfully. One unit of each of the
study materials, one consisting of high purity theophylline (CCQM-P20.e.1)
and the other containing gravimetrically defined mass fractions of related
structure impurities (CCQM-P20.e.2), each containing a minimum of 1 g of
material, were shipped to each of the twelve participating laboratories under
controlled conditions. BIPM was one of the participating laboratories. The
participants were required to assign the mass fraction and corresponding
uncertainties of theophylline in each material and to provide mass fraction
estimates of all major impurities. Initial results and the first draft report of the
pilot study were circulated to the participants and were presented at the
CCQM Organic Analysis Working Group meeting in April 2007. Reported
estimates for the mass fractions of theophylline in both materials showed a
good level of agreement both with each other and, in the case of the
CCQM-P20.e.2 material, with a gravimetric reference value.
A second pilot study, CCQM-P20.f, will also be coordinated by BIPM. The
cardioactive pharmaceutical digoxin is the main component of this study
material. Analytical method development required to assess the degree of
homogeneity and stability of the material began in 2007. Homogeneity
testing was completed successfully in June 2007. The measurements of the
isochronous stability of the digoxin material are scheduled for the third
quarter of 2007. Distribution of vials, each containing 500 mg of digoxin, to
laboratories participating in the comparison is scheduled for late 2007, with
the initial discussion of results scheduled for April 2008.
A proposal has been for BIPM to proceed with the coordination of
CCQM-K55, the first key comparison on organic purity assessment. The
proposed measurand for the study is β-estradiol and the preparation and
characterization of candidate materials is being undertaken in collaboration

with NMIJ.
6.3 Activities related to the JCTLM (S. Maniguet and R.I. Wielgosz)
R.I. Wielgosz is Executive Secretary of the Joint Committee for Traceability
in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM), and a member of its review team on
Quality Systems and Implementation, and S. Maniguet is coordinating the
development of the JCTLM database.
The fifth meeting of the Executive Committee of the JCTLM was held at the
BIPM in December 2006, and the timetable for the approval of Cycle III
nominations of higher order reference materials and reference measurement
procedures, and of Cycle I nominations of laboratory reference measurement
procedures was agreed.
The construction of the internet-based searchable database for higher order
reference materials and measurement methods/procedures approved by the
JCTLM was completed and, the new website of the JCTLM database was
launched in December 2006. This website is available at
http://www.bipm.org/jctlm/. It provides the user with an analyte keyword
search engine to display lists of higher order reference materials and
measurement methods/procedures and a second search facility to access .pdf
files of available higher order reference materials and reference measurement
methods/procedures for specific analyte or matrix categories.
From December 2006 to June 2007, the total number of external connections
to the JCTLM database website is on average of 750 each month. It is not
easy to identify the external visitors of the website since the majority of the
connections are being made through web providers, but a number of
important organizations in the field of laboratory medicine and in vitro
diagnostics, universities or hospitals have been identified and have regularly
visited the website.
The first list of reference measurement services offered by laboratories was
published on the JCTLM website in June 2007. The JCTLM web application
will be extended to include the reference measurement laboratory services as
a searchable category to the database, and this will be available by the end of
2007.

R.I. Wielgosz is the Executive Secretary of the CCQM.
J. Viallon is a member of the CCQM gas analysis and surface analysis
working groups.
E. Flores is a member of the CCQM Working Group on Gas Analysis.
S. Westwood is a member of the CCQM Working Group on Organic
Analysis and is a technical observer on the CCQM Key Comparison
Working Group.
R. Josephs is a member of the CCQM bioanalysis and organic analysis
working groups.
6.5 CCQM comparisons coordinated by the BIPM

The BIPM is the coordinating laboratory for following CCQM comparisons:
• CCQM-P28 – Ozone, ambient level (completed);
• BIPM.QM-K1 – Ozone, ambient level (on-going);
• CCQM-P73 – Nitrogen monoxide in nitrogen, preparative capabilities;
• CCQM-P20.e – Theophylline, purity analysis series;
• CCQM-P20.f – Digoxin, purity analysis series;
• CCQM-K55 – Purity analysis.

R.I. Wielgosz is a BIPM representative to the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) CIMO Expert group on capacity building, the Codex
Alimentarius Commission, and ISO TC 212, Clinical laboratory testing and
in vitro diagnostic test systems, Working Group 2 on Reference Systems, and
is a member of the editorial board of Accreditation and Quality Assurance.
S. Westwood is the BIPM and CCQM representative at ISO REMCO, and
the BIPM representative to the CIPM ad hoc Material Metrology Working
Group.
R. Josephs is a member of the electronic working group on measurement
uncertainty of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
(CCMAS).
6.7 Publications, lectures, travel: Chemistry section

1. Linsinger T.P.J., Josephs R.D., Limitations of the application of the
Horwitz equation, Trends Anal. Chem., 2006, 25(11), 1125-1130.
2. Buttinger G., Josephs R.D., Emteborg H., Harbeck S., Krska R., The
certification of the mass fraction of deoxynivalenol in acetonitrile
(IRMM-315) and of nivalenol in acetonitrile (IRMM-316), IRMM-
Information, EUR-Report, Luxembourg (2006), EUR 22178 EN
[ISBN 92-79-01699-7].
3. Welzig E., Josephs R.D., Schothorst R.C., van Egmond H.P., Pettersson
H., Chan D., Krska R., Type B-Trichothecene calibrants: Comparison
of HPLC and GC-results within an intercomparison study, Mycotoxin
Res., 2006, 214, 224-230.
4. Krska R., Welzig E., Josephs R.D., Schothorst R.C., van Egmond H.P.,
Pettersson H., Chan D., MacDonald S., Feasibility study for the
production of certified calibrants for the determination of
deoxynivalenol and other B-trichothecenes: Intercomparison study,
AOAC Int., 2006, 89(6), 1573-1580.
5. Viallon J., Moussay P., Norris J.E., Guenther F.R., Wielgosz R.I., A
study of systematic biases and measurement uncertainties in ozone mole
fraction measurements with the NIST Standard Reference Photometer,
Metrologia, 2006, 43, 441-450.

R.I. Wielgosz to:
• Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany), to WMO-VOC CCL, 3-4 July
2006, to attend the CCQM GAWG and WMO GAW workshop on VOC
monitoring and standards;
• Chicago (United States), to the AACC meeting, 24-25 July 2006, to
attend JCTLM WG1 and WG2 meetings;
• Wiesbaden (Germany), 15 September 2006, to present CCQM activities
to the ENFSI;
• Minneapolis (United States), 18-20 September 2006, to present CCQM
activities at the AOAC annual meeting;
• LGC, Teddington (United Kingdom), 15-17 November 2006, for
JCTLM Working Groups Meeting;
• Brussels (Belgium), 30 November 2006, to discuss the use of the

JCTLM database with EC DG Enterprise;
• RSC, London (United Kingdom), to attend meeting on Trends in Air
Quality and present BIPM activities on ground-level ozone standards,
19-20 December 2006;
• Lisbon (Portugal), 7-9 February 2007, to MetChem EUROMET to
present JCTLM and BIPM metrology in chemistry activities;
• AFNOR, Saint-Denis (France), 21-23 February 2007, to participate in
ISO TC 212 WG2;
• Budapest (Hungary), 2-8 March 2007, CCMAS and IAM, to represent
BIPM at the interagency and Codex meetings;
• Bangkok (Thailand), 14-18 May 2007, to give presentations on JCTLM
and the BIPM chemistry programme at the APLAC workshop on ISO
15189 and at the NMIT;
• Harvard Business School, Cambridge (United States), 3-8 June 2007, to
attend training course.
R.I. Wielgosz and J. Viallon to:
• KRISS, Daejeon (Rep. of Korea), 30 October – 3 November 2006, to
participate in the CCQM GAWG meeting, attend the CRM Symposium
and visit KRISS laboratories for chemistry;
• Rotterdam (The Netherlands), 14-16 February 2007, to attend the
4th International Gas Analysis Symposium.
R.I. Wielgosz and E. Flores to EC-JRC, Ispra (Italy), 14-15 March 2007, to
attend the EUROMET 888, Workshop on dynamic measurements of NOx,
CO, and SO2 at low ambient level and their comparability.
R.I. Wielgosz and S. Westwood to Linskoping (Sweden), 22-23 March 2007,
to assist in the presentation of a workshop on metrological tools for forensic
analysis as part of an ENFSI quality and competence liaison group meeting.
J. Viallon to:
• CPEM 2006, Turin (Italy), 10-14 July 2006, to present a lecture on
“Systematic biases and measurement uncertainties in ozone mole
fraction measurements with the BIPM maintained SRP” (CPEM 2006
Digest, 686-687) and to attend a workshop on spectroscopy as a
potential primary method for gas analysis;
• PTB, Braunschweig (Germany), 30 November – 1 December 2006, to

give the presentation prepared for the CPEM 2006 to the chemistry
department and visit their laboratories;
• NOAA-ERSL (Earth Research System Laboratory), Boulder (Colorado,
United States), 2-3 May 2007, to attend the NOAA ESRL 2007 Global
Monitoring Annual Conference and present a poster on “Requirements
for new measurements of the absorption cross-section of ozone for
accurate determination of ozone concentration”.
S. Westwood to:
• LGC, Teddington (United Kingdom), 11-12 December 2006, for the
follow-up UKAS assessment of LGC for accreditation for reference
material production to ISO Guide 34:2000;
• LNE, Paris (France), 21-22 May 2006, to represent BIPM at the third
meeting of the ad hoc CIPM Materials Metrology Working Group;
• Riga (Latvia), 31 May - 1 June 2007, to present a lecture on establishing
an international metrological infrastructure for analytical measurements
at the ENFSI annual meeting;
• Tsukuba (Japan), 5-8 June 2007, to represent BIPM and CIPM at the
annual ISO Reference Materials Committee (ISO REMCO) meeting.
R. Josephs to:
• Prague (Czech Republic), 27 August – 1 September 2006, Academy of
Sciences of the Czech Republic, to participate in the 17th International
Mass Spectrometry Conference;
• Institute for Agrobiotechnology, Tulln (Austria), 4-8 December 2006,
for LC-MS/MS training course;
• LGC, Teddington (United Kingdom), 16 February 2007, to attend the
practical glycoprotein analysis meeting.
S. Maniguet to LGC, Teddington (United Kingdom), 15 to 17 November
2006, for JCTLM working groups meeting.
6.8 Visitors to the Chemistry section

• Drs R.L. Williams, R.G. Manning and T. Morris (US Pharmacopeia),
27 July 2006.
• Dr R. Wessel (NMi VSL), 28 September 2006.
• Dr S. Ronzoni (ABI), 2-4 October 2006.
• Dr J.E. Norris (NIST), 15-26 January 2007.

• Prof. B. Hibbert (Univ. New South Wales), 14 June 2007.
6.9 Guest worker

• Dr Y. Shimizu (NMIJ), 21 August – 15 September 2006.
7 SPECIAL PROJECTS (M. STOCK)
7.1 Calculable capacitor (F. Delahaye*, R. Felder, N. Fletcher,

R. Goebel, L. Robertsson, J. Sanjaime, M. Stock, L.F. Vitushkin)
The objective of this project, carried out jointly with the NMIA (Australia) is
to build two calculable capacitors capable of realizing a capacitance of 0.4 pF
with an uncertainty of the order of 1 part in 108. This will allow us to
measure the value of the von Klitzing constant, RK, for the next CODATA
fundamental constants adjustment and will significantly shorten the
traceability chain for our capacitance calibrations. Staff members of the
Electricity section, the Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section and the
workshop are contributing to this work.
One of the biggest challenges in this project is the fabrication of the electrode
bars, which need to be cylindrical to within 100 nm over a length of
nearly 50 cm. During the last year, a polishing and lapping technique was
developed at the NMIA, which has allowed us to fabricate the first electrode
bar within these specifications. It is planned that the remaining bars will be
made during 2007.
The BIPM workshop has made the vacuum enclosures, the main cell support
structure and many other elements for both systems.
Two members of the Electricity section (N. Fletcher and R. Goebel) spent
three weeks at the NMIA to familiarize themselves with the existing
calculable capacitor, the new project and, in particular, the optimization of

the shape of a model of the guard electrodes, to make it insensitive to the

imperfect geometry of the main electrodes.
A member of the Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section (L. Robertsson)
visited the NMIA to discuss questions related to the interferometer that will
be used to determine the relative electrode positions. Agreement was reached
on the appropriateness of the selected general parameters. The mode
matching optics to couple the laser to the interferometer cavity still needs to
be determined. We have made initial calculations for this which will now be
refined and discussed with suppliers to find appropriate components.
Different solutions for aligning the system have been discussed and will be
investigated. We have started to set up an interferometric test bench at the
BIPM to study the alignment procedures and to make an assessment of
systematic errors related to the excitation of higher order modes in the cavity.
The uncertainty related to the interferometer will be one of the limiting
factors of the instrument.
As described in the section 4.2.2, the chain linking the quantum Hall
resistance to capacitance standards has been improved.
7.2 Watt balance (H. Fang, L. Kovalevsky*, J. Labot, M. Nonis, A. Picard,

D. Reymann**, M. Stock, T.J. Witt***)
This project is being carried out by staff members from the Electricity
section, the Mass section, the Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section and
the Ionizing Radiation section.
Work is continuing on the development of the magnetic circuit. The main
magnetic and geometric characteristics have been determined, but the
fabrication is difficult because the required uniformity of the magnetic field
in the air gap requires mechanical tolerances of the large pole pieces in the
micrometer range. We have started a cooperative venture with the machine
tools department of the Technical University (RWTH) of Aachen (Germany),
to develop a fabrication strategy and to build the system. In addition to the
fabrication, the high magnetic forces during assembly need to be addressed.
During the first project phase, the machining properties of the FeNi alloy
have been investigated and a polishing process has been selected for the final
surface finish. A high precision lathe will be needed and a company
* Student at the École Normale Cachan (France).

possessing such a machine has been contacted. First concepts for the
assembly have been proposed and need to be refined. It is planned that the
magnetic circuit should be delivered in the next year.
In June 2006 we achieved for the first time control of the coil velocity during
the vertical movement, but the velocity noise was relatively high and we
observed a large horizontal run-out of the coil. This led us to the following
improvements. The balance suspension has been re-designed for greater
stiffness and to correct some other mechanical imperfections. The design of
the flexure clamps was modified to reduce stress and to allow for a smoother
movement. An electrostatic system to control the coil rotation around the
vertical axis has been added; it is composed of three gold-plated glass plates
connected to the coil suspension, sandwiched between three pairs of high-
voltage electrodes. The rotation during the vertical movement is now
50 μrad; that is, 30 times less than before. Further work is needed to reduce
the unwanted horizontal run-out. An engineering student has worked for
several months on a system to control the unwanted horizontal inclinations of
the coil. A detailed mechanical design and the results of an investigation of
the dynamical properties are available. This device will be tested separately
before integration into the suspension.
Work is continuing on the integration of the interferometer into the system,
so that velocity readings can be obtained directly from the interferometer. A
metallic mirror whose surface has the same shape and size as a portion of the
surface of the moving coil was implemented. It will be replaced later by a
dielectric mirror with larger reflectivity. A new compact support for the beam
splitter and reference mirror was designed. It is directly mounted on the
permanent magnet, relative to which the coil velocity needs to be measured,
and it incorporates various elements for an independent verification of the
interferometer readings.
An independent method for frequency measurement for the determination of
velocity was set-up. The electrical signal directly obtained from the beat
frequency of the two orthogonal polarized components of the laser source
serves as reference signal. The Doppler frequency shift due to the
displacement of the moving coil is extracted from the measurement signal
with respect to the reference signal by means of a frequency mixer. This
method will be compared to the commercial system and used in parallel for
velocity servo-control and determination.
An aluminium cabin has been constructed in order to minimise the

undesirable air flow and the ambient light in the experiment, which lead to
mechanical and electrical noise.
A first version of the moving coil has been made and inserted into the
magnet. Synchronisation of the measurements of induced voltage, given by a
digital voltmeter, and of the velocity readings coming from the Zygo
interferometer is under development. Each voltage value is integrated over
60 ms (3 PLC) whilst the acquisition of the velocity is carried out at 1 kHz.
Fabrication of a non-inductive coil with the same electrical resistance as the
moving coil is under way. We intend to mount this in series with the moving
coil in order to separate the induced voltage from the voltage drop due to the
current flow.
A current source has been built which delivers ± 1 mA with a short term
stability of about 2 parts in 107. The current can be adjusted within ± 20 % of
the full range with a resolution of 0.1 µA.
A long solenoid coil, which will become the magnetic reference for
horizontal alignment of the coil and the magnet, has been obtained from the
NIST.
In preparation for the construction of a concrete antivibration base for the
watt balance we have invited an expert on vibration isolation for discussion.
To underpin the further development, the elastomechanical properties of the
ground have been determined and vibration spectra from 0 Hz – 100 Hz have
been measured in the future laboratory. We also have analyzed our present
velocity measurements for the dominant noise frequencies.
In February 2007, we organized the annual technical workshop on watt
balances, WBTM’07, at the BIPM, with 19 external participants from all
other watt balance groups.
7.3 Publications, lectures, travel: Special projects

1. Fang H., Picard A., Reymann D., Stock M., Witt T.J., The BIPM Watt
Balance, IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas., 2007, 56, 538-542.
2. Stock M., Watt balances and the future of the kilogram, Proc.
Symposium of Metrology 2006, Quéretaro, Mexico, 2006, 6 pp.

H. Fang, A. Picard and M. Stock to Turin (Italy), 8 July 2006, to attend the
CCEM Working Group on Electrical Methods to Monitor the Kilogram and
to give a presentation on the status of the BIPM watt balance.
M. Stock, A. Picard, H. Fang and T.J. Witt to the CPEM 2006, Turin (Italy),
10-14 July 2006: A. Picard, M. Stock and H. Fang presented a poster entitled
“The BIPM watt balance”, CPEM 2006 Digest, 128-129.
R. Goebel and N. Fletcher to the NMIA (Australia), 11-29 September 2006,
for work related to the joint NMIA/BIPM calculable capacitor project.
M. Stock to the Metrology Symposium in Querétaro (Mexico), 25-
26 October 2006, to present a plenary lecture on “Watt balances and the
future of the kilogram” and a lecture on “International comparison of water
triple point cells leading to a more precise definition of the kelvin”.
Watt balance technical meeting 2007, BIPM, 15-16 February 2007; M. Stock
gave a presentation on the “Progress of the BIPM watt balance” and
A. Picard on “Transfer of vacuum masses”.
H. Fang, A. Picard, M. Stock and T.J. Witt to the LNE, Trappes (France),
16 February 2007, to visit the watt balance and calculable capacitor facilities.
M. Stock and A. Picard to the Technical University of Aachen (RWTH,
Germany), 5 April 2007, for a meeting on the results of the first phase of the
cooperation on the fabrication of the watt balance magnet.
A. Picard, M. Nonis and H. Fang to Paris (France), 23 April 2007, for
training on I-Labview real time and data acquisition software; 22 May 2007,
for training day on NI-DIAdem software.
L. Robertsson to NMIA (Australia), 14-15 May 2007, to discuss questions
related to the interferometry for the calculable capacitor.
7.4 Visitors: Special projects

• Messrs G. Small and J. Fiander (NMIA), to discuss the status of the joint
NMIA-BIPM project on the calculable capacitor, 5-6 July 2006.
• Drs J. Butorac and D. Ilic (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical
Engineering and Computing, Croatia) and Mr R. di Silva (LNE),
14 September 2006; visits to the impedance, voltage and watt balance
laboratories.
• An open day was organized on 12 February 2007 to present the watt

balance, calculable capacitor and Avogadro projects to the BIPM staff.
• Prof. Moscati (CIPM), 8 March 2007, visit to the watt balance.
• Dr Ch. Sutton (MSL), 21 March 2007, visit to the watt balance.
• Drs W. van Bommel and P. Lighting (President to the CIE), 2 April
2007, visit of the watt balance and electricity laboratories.
• Messrs J. Ferris and J. Gust and Mrs C. Hockert (NCSLI), 3 April 2007,
visit to the watt balance and electricity laboratories.
• Dr C. Clark (NIST), 15 May 2007, visit to the watt balance.
• Dr B. Inglis (NMIA and CIPM), 7 June 2007, visit to the watt balance.
• Dr B. Siebert (PTB) and Dr J. Stenger (Head of PTB’s Presidential staff
office), 14 June 2007, visit of the watt balance and the calculable
capacitor.
• Dr J. Flowers (NPL) and Dr D. Newell (NIST), 14 June 2007, visit of
the watt balance.
7.5 Student: Special projects

• Mr L. Kovalevsky (École Normale Cachan, France) has worked on the
watt balance project from 1 December 2006 to 7 June 2007. The subject
of his work was “Design of a suspension mechanism for the BIPM watt
balance”.
8 THE BIPM KEY COMPARISON DATABASE, KCDB

(C. THOMAS)
8.1 Visits to the KCDB website (S. Maniguet and C. Thomas)

Between February 2006 and March 2007, the total number of monthly
external connections to the KCDB website increased from 10 300 to 18 200.
Details on the number of visits are given for the two main parts of the
website (key and supplementary comparisons, and CMCs) in the figure
page 270.
As previously noted, the database which holds information on key and

supplementary comparisons was basically made “by the NMIs for the
NMIs”, and it seems that we have now attracted this audience as the number
of visits remains naturally stable.
The number of visitors seeking information on CMCs has increased
continuously since the creation of the KCDB. It reached an average level of
one visit every five minutes in March 2007.
KCs and SCs

10000
CMCs
9000
8000
7000
Number of visits
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Nov 2006
Jun 2006
Jul 2006
Jan 2007
Feb 2006
Mar 2006
Apr 2006
May 2006
Aug 2006
Sep 2006
Oct 2006
Dec 2006
Feb 2007
Mar 2007
Number of visits to the KCDB website

(no data available for July 2006)
8.2 Redesign of the KCDB website (C. Thomas)

The graph shown above seems to indicate that the process put in place by the
launch of the CIPM MRA has become of interest to users other than our
traditional audience, namely metrologists in the NMIs. We know that the
communities of regulators and accreditors have an interest in the KCDB
website, and the rise in the number of visits to the CMC data is evidence that
this interest is growing. In addition, it seems that more recently it has
attracted the attention of several commercial and industrial companies who
wish to take advantage of the mutual recognition of calibration and
measurement certificates issued by NMIs for establishing their traceability.
We suspect, however, that the majority of our new users are not acquainted
with the CIPM MRA wording and experience difficulties in this regard. For
instance, the expression “key comparison database” and the acronym
“KCDB” are generic terms, used to cover a complete and complex web
application. The terms “Appendix A”, “Appendix B” and “Appendix C”,
although well suited to a document, such as the text of the CIPM MRA itself,
are not so easily understood on a website.
Some users have also commented that searching for information on CMCs
using the software in place was sometimes difficult: one had first to select a
metrology area, and then items presented under the format chosen for the
classification of services drawn up for that metrology area. These items may
be instruments, such as in dimensional metrology, or quantities, such as in
electricity. This can be confusing and led the visitor to simply download one
or another global .pdf file from among those proposed, without using the
search engine that would have delivered a well-targeted answer.
Consequently, we decided to improve the ease of use of the website, and
took a number of actions which led to a new design for the KCDB website,
including the access to a new text-based search engine. This new search
engine became publicly available on the Internet on 6 March 2007.
The KCDB website is now presented as follows:
• The list of participants (“Appendix A of the CIPM MRA”) is made
available in the form of searchable html pages kept on the main BIPM
website.
• The KCDB home page gives access to two independent websites: the
“Key and supplementary comparisons” website (“Appendix B of the
CIPM MRA”), and the “Calibration and Measurement Capabilities –
CMCs” website (“Appendix C of the CIPM MRA”). The word
“Appendix” is mentioned in a discreet manner, and only on the home
page.
• The KCDB home page also gives access to a number of useful links,
including statistics, a “Find my NMI”, a glossary, and the KCDB
Newsletters page.
8.3 A new search engine on the KCDB website

(C. Thomas, in collaboration with L. Le Mée and J. Miles)
As reported previously, the BIPM studied the advantages of implementing a
search facility that would be able to interpret a text-based inquiry. Several
such search engines, all commercially available, were compared, and the
BIPM purchased such software in December 2005. Our new search engine
was implemented on the main BIPM website* and on the KCDB, and
publicly launched on 6 March 2007.
It takes the form of free-text boxes available from the comparisons and the
CMCs websites, in which the user types words. The previous directed search
facilities are also maintained for sake of continuity, especially the possibility
of downloading .pdf files of reports on comparisons or full lists of CMCs
declared by a given country and covering a given metrology area.
The BIPM search engine is a powerful tool with the advantages of full-text
searching, and dynamically generated tables of contents based on each search
results page, which allow an easy means of refining the search query. Some
illustrative examples are given in the KCDB Newsletter No. 7, available at
http://kcdb.bipm.org/NL/07/NL_07_Jun07_Content.html.
The main characteristics of the new search engine can be summarized as
follows:
• Relevance of results. The software parameters are chosen so that the
answers are as appropriate as possible (minimizing search time).
• Refining the results. The links generated dynamically on the left of the
screen can be used to refine the search by selecting or deleting one or
several item(s) among the proposed lists. It is always possible to come
back to the previous screen by clicking again on the same link.
• Making statistics. A variety of statistics based on numbers of CMCs or
on comparisons corresponding to specified properties are now facilitated
and obtained directly.
• Approximation, exact wording search. An approximation of two letters
on the entry is allowed. It follows that the plural is automatically taken
into account. Exact wording search is possible by using quotes.
• Vocabulary, use of acronyms. A vocabulary is implemented on the
search engine, which makes it possible to find information relevant to
synonyms of the entry. It is intended to be especially useful when
acronyms are searched. The vocabulary will be further expanded in the
light of experience.
* See also the section “Publications” of this report for the implementation of the
new search engine on the main BIPM website to create the “BIPM metrology
portal”.
• Searching a given item. It can be, for instance, a given certified

reference material.
8.4 Content of the KCDB (S. Maniguet and C. Thomas)

8.4.1 Key and supplementary comparisons
On 1 June 2007, the KCDB covered 586 key comparisons (78 from the
BIPM, 302 from the CCs, and 206 from RMOs) and 155 supplementary
comparisons, which correspond to 44 new comparisons registered over the
last six months.
Among the 586 key comparisons that are registered:
• 89 correspond to exercises prior to the implementation of the CIPM
MRA, and will never have results published in the KCDB (they were
“Approved for provisional equivalence”), and
• 257 have their final reports approved and posted in the KCDB,
providing a total of about 800 graphs of equivalence displayed in the
KCDB.
The results of 57 RMO key comparisons (22 conducted by APMP, 3 by
COOMET, 30 by EUROMET, and 2 by SIM) are published in the KCDB.
Linkage has also been carried out for eight bilateral key comparisons
subsequent to full-scale CC key comparisons; their results are added on the
appropriate graphs of equivalence.
A number of key comparison results are regularly updated. These mainly
concern the ongoing BIPM key comparisons in electricity (for instance
Josephson standards at 10 V) and on radionuclide activity conducted within
the framework of the SIR. These updates correspond to new bilateral
comparisons that are regularly carried out between the BIPM and various
NMIs. In addition, new data concerning the computation of Coordinated
Universal Time, UTC (key comparison CCTF-K001.UTC*), are published
every month.
Statistics on the participation in key and supplementary comparisons are
regularly updated in the statistics page of the KCDB website at
http://kcdb.bipm.org/kcdb_statistics.asp.
* The CCTF key comparison CCTF-K001.UTC was identified as “CCTF-

K2001.UTC” until March 2007. The change of identifier is a decision of the
CCTF at its 17th meeting held in September 2006.
8.4.2 Calibration and Measurements Capabilities – CMCs

On 28 May 2007, a total of 19 518 CMCs were published in the KCDB:
• 12 255 in general physics;
• 3 463 in ionizing radiation; and
• 3 800 in chemistry.
The detailed distribution of the number of CMCs published by metrology
area and by country is available from the KCDB statistics web page.
The detailed situation regarding deletion and re-instatement of CMCs linked
to approved Quality Systems (QS) may be found in the KCDB statistics
page. Since November 2006, no CMCs were removed from the KCDB, but
some were re-instated, among which a number of CMCs in chemistry
declared by Canada, and all CMCs from Ukraine and Russia that had been
deleted just after the 17th JCRB meeting.
In summary, a total of about one thousand CMCs were deleted from the
KCDB between July 2005 and November 2006 because they were not
covered by an appropriate QS. This procedure is now ended, and already 600
of them have been re-instated. From now on, all new entries will necessarily
satisfy the QS conditions, leading to full confidence in the international
recognition of calibration and measurement certificates corresponding to
CMC entries.
8.5 Publicity and KCDB Newsletters (S. Maniguet and C. Thomas)

We try to publicize the KCDB as often as we can through, for example, the
distribution of copies of the KCDB leaflet, and the presentation of the KCDB
website at workshops and congresses. The KCDB website and new search
engine will be demonstrated on Wednesday 1 August 2007 at the NCSLI
Conference (Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States), kindly hosted by the
NRC on their stand.
In addition, issues 6 and 7 of the KCDB Newsletter were launched on
14 December 2006 and 8 June 2007, respectively.
8.6 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits): KCDB

C. Thomas to:
• Turin (Italy), 7-8 July 2006, for meetings of the CCEM working groups
on proposed modifications of the SI (CCEM WGSI) and on coordination
of the regional metrology organizations (CCEM RMOWG), and of the
CCM ad hoc Working Group on Changes to the SI (CCM AHWGSI);
• Berlin (Germany), 25-26 September 2006, for meetings of the IEC TC 1
and 25; and 5-6 June 2007 for the PTB-BIPM Workshop on the Impact
of Information Technology in Metrology;
• the Institut de France, Paris (France), 3 October 2006, and 7 February
2007, for meetings of the Working Group of the Académie des sciences
“Unités de base et constantes fondamentales”;
• Paris (France), 25 October 2006, for a seminar at the LNE;
• Reading (United Kingdom), 11-12 April 2007, for a joint IEC/ISO
Working Group on the definition of the ampere;
• Muldersdrift (South Africa), 2-4 May 2007, for the 18th JCRB meeting
and the Workshop on the CIPM MRA.
L. Le Mée, J. Miles and C. Thomas presented the new BIPM search engine at
their BIPM colleagues on 28 March 2007, in the framework of the series of
BIPM internal seminars.

C. Thomas is a member of the “Cabinet scientifique des Secrétaires
perpétuels de l’Académie des sciences de Paris”. In this context, she acted as
the Scientific Secretary of the Working Group of the Académie des sciences
“Unités de base et constantes fondamentales” until its 20th and last meeting
on 7 February 2007. The Working Group was then transformed into an
official permanent committee of the Académie des sciences named “Science
et métrologie” on 24 April 2007. C. Thomas is a member of this Committee
and acts as its Scientific Secretary. She is also a member of the Working
Group of the LNE on “Mathématiques et statistiques pour la métrologie”.

C. Thomas is the Executive Secretary of the CCU. She is a member of the
CCEM working groups on proposed modifications of the SI (CCEM WG SI)
and on coordination of the regional metrology organizations (CCEM RMO

WG), a member of the CCM ad hoc Working Group on Changes to the SI
(CCM AHWG SI), which became in March 2007 the CCM Working Group
on the SI Kilogram (CCM WGSI kg), and a non-voting member of the CCT
Working Group on Key Comparisons (WG 7).
C. Thomas attended the following meetings:
• CCL-CCTF Frequency Standards Working Group, 11-12 September
2006;
• 17th CCTF, 14-15 September 2006;
• CCAUV RMO Working Group, 27 September 2006;
• 17th JCRB, 6 October 2006;
• Director’s Meeting, 9-10 October 2006;
• 95th CIPM (in part), 11-13 October 2006;
• Seminar presented to a Croatian delegation, 15 November 2006;
• CCRI RMO Working Group, 20-21 November 2006;
• CCEM Working Group on SI, 16-17 January 2007;
• RMOs/RABs Workshop, 9 March 2007;
• 25th CCEM and related meetings, 12-16 March 2007;
• 10th CCM, 23 March 2007;
• 13th CCQM, 19-20 April 2007;
• 18th JCRB, 3-4 May 2007;
• CCRI Section I and II, 14-25 May 2007;
• 18th CCU, 11-13 June 2007;
• 19th CCPR and related meetings, 18-22 June 2007.
C. Thomas is also responsible for the organization of external seminars at the
BIPM, and is the Scientific Secretary of the BIPM Metrology Summer
School 2008.
S. Maniguet attended the 13th CCQM meeting, 19-20 April 2007.
8.9 Visitors to the KCDB

• Dr A. Steele (NRC) and Dr M. Sargent (LGC), 7 October 2006.
• Prof. M. Himbert (LNE-INM), 7 December 2006.
9 THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONAL

METROLOGY ORGANIZATIONS AND THE BIPM,
JCRB (P. ESPINA)
The Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations (RMOs) and

the BIPM (the JCRB) met in October 2006 at the BIPM and was hosted by
SADCMET in May 2007 at Muldersdrift (South Africa).
9.1 BMC versus CMC

For a numbers of years, the co-existence of the terms Best Measurement
Capability (BMC) and Calibration Measurement Capability (CMC) created
confusion in both the accreditation and metrology communities. Although
various attempts were made to reconcile the difference between the terms,
confusion prevailed with the potential for undermining the value of the
CIPM MRA.
Aiming at resolving this difference of terminology, a small commission
composed of members from the Regional Metrology Organizations (RMOs)
and the Regional Accreditation Bodies (RABs) met under the chairmanship
of the BIPM during the 2006 NCSLI, in Nashville (United States). The
commission recommended a new short definition accompanied by a
collection of explanatory notes. The results of this meeting were widely
circulated among signatories of the CIPM MRA and the ILAC MRA, and the
consensus from both communities was that the new definition should be
assigned to the term CMC. (Originally there were calls for the use of the term
measurement capability (MC), but this proposal lacked general support.)
Currently, the new definition is fixed and final touches to the explanatory
notes are been made by both communities. The next and, hopefully, final
meeting of the commission will be at the next NCSLI meeting in August
2007, in Saint Paul (United States).
The commission is expected to have a recommendation in time for the
97th meeting of the CIPM in November 2007.
9.2 Criteria for the selection of peer-reviewers for NMIs

The CIPM MRA requires that any participating NMI or DI operates a
Quality Management System (QS) that complies with JCRB guidelines
(see http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/documents/jcrb/quality_systems.pdf,
JCRB-10/8(1c)) and has been reviewed and accepted by the local RMO.
Similarly, its CMCs have to be submitted for review to the local RMO (intra-
RMO review), which forwards them to the JCRB for inter-RMO review
(see http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/documents/jcrb/AppC_criteria.pdf,
JCRB-14/06(2a)).
The process for the review of QS and/or CMCs may require on-site visits by
peers selected by the local RMO. While the requirements for these reviews
are listed in the above referenced JCRB documents, a new document
(Recommendations for on-site visits by peers and selection criteria for on-site
visit peer reviewers) gives recommendations for on-site visits by peers and
the selection criteria of visiting reviewers. The document also provides
recommendations for those inter-RMO CMC review processes that require
on-site visits by peers.
The document was presented to the CIPM in October of 2006 for approval
but it was sent back to the JCRB with a request to make certain of its aspects
less prescriptive. The document was redrafted by the JCRB and re-
recommended to the CIPM for approval on its November 2007 meeting.
9.3 Monitoring CMC changes after the results of comparisons

become available
Among the work to be conducted in the next year is the development of
RMO processes to monitor changes to published CMCs from their NMIs
after the results of comparisons become available. Currently, the lack of such
processes is creating confusion among some of the working groups in the
RMOs and CIPM Consultative Committees, and the JCRB felt that a
common policy on this issue might benefit all. Under the proposed approach,
the new RMO processes will be presented to the JCRB where they will
benefit from comments offered by other RMOs. It is expected that after
consensus is reached at the JCRB, the new processes will be implemented in
the RMOs thus helping reduce the confusion on this topic.
9.4 JCDCMAS
Members for the Joint Committee on Coordination of Assistance to
Developing Countries in Metrology, Accreditation and Standardization
(JCDCMAS) held a workshop on the effects of the bilateral and regional free
trade agreements on the metrology, accreditation and standardization

systems, in Lima (Peru) on 23-25 October 2006. The meeting was attended
by individuals working on metrology, accreditation, and standardization in
the Andes region.
The JCDCMAS held its annual meeting at UNIDO, Vienna (Austria) on
13 March 2007. On that occasion, each member organization presented their
activities aimed at the developing world during the last 12 months. A
proposal was made to have a combined calendar of activities on the web
portal of the JCDCMAS (see http://www.jcdcmas.org). The calendar will be
based on the current calendar maintained by ILAC. At the same meeting,
discussions were held on the activities realized by the group in the last
12 months and it was decided that criteria for specifying what constitutes a
JCDCMAS event is needed. Such criteria, which are not yet available, will
specify how members are expected to contribute to future activities.
The secretariat of the JCDCMAS remains in the hands of UNIDO (Executive
Secretary: O. Loesener Díaz) for a second year. UNIDO is scheduled to
retain the secretariat until March 2008.
9.5 Publications, lectures, travel: JCRB

9.5.1 New CIPM MRA documents (please note that we are favouring the
publication of new CIPM MRA policy as CIPM documents)
Available at: www.bipm.org/en/committees/jc/jcrb/documents.html
1. Suggested content of RMO Report to the JCRB, JCRB-18/03.7.
2. Report of the 15th JCRB Meeting (28 September 2005), JCRB-15/15.
3. Report of the 17th JCRB Meeting (6 October 2006), JCRB-17/17.
Available at: http://www.bipm.org/cc/AllowedDocuments.jsp?cc=CIPM
1. Guidelines for the reviews of CMCs and the monitoring and reporting
of the operation of Quality Systems by international intergovernmental
organizations, CIPM/06-03.
2. Guidelines for use of the CIPM MRA logo, CIPM/06-04.
9.5.2 Revised CIPM MRA documents

Available at: www.bipm.org/en/committees/jc/jcrb/documents.html
1. JCRB directory, JCRB-18/05.

P. Espina to:
• Turin (Italy), 7-9 July 2006, for meeting of the CCEM WG RMO;
• Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), 11-18 September 2006, SIM Quality System
Task Force meeting and SIM General Assembly;
• Querétaro (Mexico), 23 October – 1 November 2006, for meetings of
the: CCPR WGCMC, SIM Metrology Working Group for Flow, and
CCL WGDM;
• Braunschweig (Germany), 1 December 2006, for meetings with staff of
PTB Technical Cooperation;
• New Delhi (India), 9-17 December 2006, to participate in: the APMP
pressure and vacuum workshop, APMP TCQS meeting, APMP TCM
meeting, and the APMP General Assembly;
• Berlin (Germany), 10-11 January 2007, to participate in the EURAMET
inauguration ceremony;
• Tunis (Tunisia), 21-23 February 2007, to participate in the UNIDO-AU
expert group meeting on “Standards Compliance and Conformity
Assessment for the Development of Sustainable Trade as a major
potential source of poverty reduction in Africa”;
• Vienna (Austria), 11-13 March 2007, to participate in a BIPM-OIML-
ILAC-UNIDO meeting and the annual JCDCMAS meeting; 11 May
2007, to participate in the UNIDO LABNET launching ceremony;
• Gaithersburg (United States), 15-23 March 2007, to attend meetings
with NIST staff (B. Collins, K. Gebbie, B. Jeffrey, B. Koch, W. May,
M. Moldover, C. Saundry, H. Semerjian, and J. Whetstone);
• Moscow (Russian Federation), 25-27 March 2007, to participate in
COOMET QSF TC meeting;
• Minsk (Belarus), 23-26 April 2007, to participate in the 17th COOMET
Committee Meeting (i.e., COOMET General Assembly);
• Muldersdrift (South Africa), 30 April – 6 May 2007, to participate in a
CIPM Workshop on Enhancing Participation in the CIPM MRA and the
18th Meeting of the JCRB;
• London (United Kingdom), 29-31 May 2007, to participate in the last
EUROMET General Assembly and the first EURAMET General
Assembly;
• Madrid (Spain), 27 June 2007, to participate in CEM Strategic Panel

Meeting.

P. Espina participated in the following meetings:
• CCAUV RMO Working Group, 27 September 2006;
• IAEA Quality System review meeting, 5 October 2006;
• 17th JCRB meeting, 6 October 2006;
• 2006 Meeting of Directors of NMIs, 9-10 October 2006;
• 95th CIPM meeting, 13 October 2006;
• CCRI RMO Working Group, 20-21 November 2006;
• BIPM-OIML-ILAC annual meeting, 7 March 2007;
• BIPM-ILAC annual meeting, 8 March 2007;
• RMO-RAB annual meeting, 9 March 2007;
• CCQM KCWG annual meeting, 13-14 April 2007;
• BIPM-OIML-UNIDO meeting, 17 April 2007;
• CCPR WG-CMC meeting, 19 June 2007.
9.7 Visitors to the JCRB

• Mrs L. Seehausen (PTB), on secondment to the BIPM, 7-25 August
2006.
• Bolivian delegation: A. Bort Amelunge, J.C. Castillo, and G. Muñoz
(IBMETRO), 7 September 2006.
• Croatian delegation: E. Nemeroff, Z. Sovic, M. Livazovic, L. Celar,
D. Jelic, T. Zupic, M. Vrebcevic, M. Polla, K. Gaca, S. Zima, and
M. Borsic, 15 November 2006.
• Dr O. Loesener Diaz (UNIDO, JCDCMAS) and Mr P. Reposeur (French
consultant), 17 April 2007.
• Mr K. Berry (consultant, United Kingdom), 7 June 2007.
• Mrs K. Royss (PTB) and Dr W. Schmid (EURAMET, PTB), 22 June
2007.
10 QUALITY SYSTEM AND LIAISONS WITH ISO AND

ILAC, VIM (R. KÖHLER)
10.1 The BIPM's Quality System (R. Köhler)

The BIPM Quality System required to comply with ISO/IEC 17025
continues its routine operation. In 2006, the second triennial round of
external peer reviews was performed. All audits were satisfactory, no major
non-conformities were detected and again, the exchange of information in
formal and informal discussions during the audits was judged valuable for
both the auditors and those being audited. Resulting from the first years of
the operation of the BIPM's Quality System, a new edition of the Quality
Manual has been undertaken to include ISO 9000 requirements, plus some of
the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for laboratories.
10.2 Liaison with ISO and ILAC (R. Köhler)

The BIPM is continuing to participate in the work of ISO for standards
important for its work and as a stakeholder. The most recent activity was
monitoring and participation in the ISO CASCO Working Group 28 on the
development of an international standard that contains general requirements
for the competence of proficiency testing providers. This standard is intended
to replace the existing ISO/IEC Guide 43:1997, Proficiency testing by
interlaboratory comparisons – Part 1: Development and operation of
proficiency testing schemes and Part 2: Selection and use of proficiency
testing schemes by laboratory accreditation bodies.
The ILAC and BIPM continue their annual bilateral meetings and also
participate in the annual trilateral BIPM-ILAC-OIML meeting.
10.3 JCGM WG 2: VIM (R. Köhler)
Following the retirement of F. Delahaye, R. Köhler took on the secretariat of
the Working Group 2, which has been producing a new edition of the VIM.
The working group met twice in early 2007 and finalized the document
which is now with ISO for final editing and printing.
10.4 Travel (conferences, lectures and presentations, visits)

R. Köhler to:
• Geneva (Switzerland), 3-4 May 2007, for ISO CASCO Working
Group 28;
• PTB, Berlin (Germany), 4-8 June 2007, for the 3rd Workshop on the
Impact of Information Technology in Metrology;
• Lille (France), 19-20 June 2007, for the International Metrology
Congress to give a presentation on the VIM.
11 PUBLICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(J. WILLIAMS)
11.1 Reports of the CIPM and Consultative Committees

(D. Le Coz, J.R. Miles, C. Thomas and J. Williams)
Since July 2006 the following have been published:
• International Committee for Weights and Measures, 94th meeting
(2005), 2006, 73, 242 pp.
• Director's Report on the Activity and Management of the BIPM (2006),
2006, 7, 301 pp.
• Convocation of the 23rd General Conference on Weights and Measures.
• Programme of Work and Budget of the BIPM for the four years 2009-
2012; prepared for the 23rd General Conference on Weights and
Measures.
• Evolving Needs for Metrology in Trade, Industry and Society and the
Role of the BIPM; prepared for the 23rd General Conference on Weights
and Measures.
Note: all scientific publications are listed in the appropriate sections of the
report.
Following a decision made by the International Committee for Weights and
Measures at its 92nd meeting in October 2003, reports of meetings of
Consultative Committees are published only on the BIPM website. Full
bilingual printed versions in French and English no longer appear.
11.2 Metrologia (J.R. Miles, D. Saillard and J. Williams)

Since the beginning of 2003, Metrologia has been produced in partnership
with Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP) Ltd., the publishing arm of the
Institute of Physics.
The technical details of the production of Metrologia between the BIPM and
IOPP are continuing to work well. The journal appears on time and we
benefit from the extensive marketing network of IOPP to assist in
maintaining the subscriptions levels of the journal at a time when
subscription levels are falling for the majority of technical scientific journals.
Special issues of the Metrologia are still organized by an invited specialist
editor in cooperation with the editor at the BIPM. Over the period of this
report, there was one special issue of Metrologia published in the period of
this report: Statistical and Probabilistic Methods for Metrology, volume
43(4).
In addition to appearing in the printed journal, all submissions that have been
accepted are made freely available for one month on the Metrologia section
of the website for IOPP (www.iop.org/EJ/journal/Met).
The impact factor of Metrologia continues to increase. The impact factor (IF)
is defined as being: number of citations in the current year to papers
published in previous two years / number of papers published in previous
two years.
Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
IF 0.820 0.945 0.842 0.983 1.314 1.479 1.657
It is important for us to achieve and maintain an impact factor above 1.0 as

this is typically the cut-off value that librarians and subscriptions managers
look at when they are seeking which journals with low impact factor to cut
from their budgets.
The Technical Supplement to Metrologia is doing well with 54 abstracts
published in 2006 and 30 already published in 2007, with many more in the
pipeline.
The following table gives details of the rapidity of the editorial process for
manuscripts submitted to Metrologia; demonstrating that the editorial and
publication processes involving BIPM and IOPP are working well.
2004 2005 2006
Receipt of manuscript to 57.1 days 35.9 days 40 days

Web publication
Receipt of manuscript to 106 days 96.9 days 95 days

print publication
11.3 Information Technology (L. Le Mée, J.R. Miles and G. Petitgand*)

Over the period of this report, the Information Technology (IT) Group
continued to investigate and identify means of improving the reliability,
security and performance of the BIPM's computer network and internet
service, and to put in place the appropriate new software and hardware to
meet the desired objectives. For example, improvements in the reliability of
the most essential elements of the BIPM's computer network have been based
upon a geographical separation of the servers and a means of automatically
sharing the load between servers, so that if one ceases to function, its tasks
are automatically switched to other servers (load balancing).
Responding to demand from staff of the BIPM, the IT group examined the
most efficient means of working at distance from the BIPM using portable
computers. The IT group identified the most appropriate technology and then
proceeded to install this technology to assist the work of staff members. The
solutions identified involved installation and networking of VPN (Virtual
Private Network) card, communication cards of third generation (UMTS) and
hand held BlackBerry units.
Towards the end of the reporting period, the IT group made a significant
change in the software and hardware that provides the 'firewall' protection for
the BIPM's network. In addition, the IT group has recently proceeded to
increase the capacity of the backup system for data storage using magnetic
cartouches.
The IT group was closely involved in the choice and installation of the new
search engine, which is available on the BIPM's website and on the KCDB
website. The IT group was involved in finding solutions to the indexing of
websites and of presenting the results recovered by the new search engine.
The IT group has also been involved in other aspects of development of the
* Until 15 June 2007.

BIPM's website; including, information about the use of the logo for the
CIPM MRA and for certificates.
Over the period of this report the IT group was involved in the purchase,
installation and administration of almost 180 office and laboratory
computers, and the installation and integration into the office network of
multifunction photocopiers. In addition, the IT group was responsible for
networking the suit of new meeting rooms created by the refurbishment of
the old workshop.
11.4 The BIPM website (L. Le Mée and J.R. Miles)

As the BIPM’s primary means of communication, our website contains a
wealth of information. Restricted-access areas have been set up for almost
eighty different user groups (Consultative Committees, Working Groups and
others) to provide access to their working documents, and these “behind the
scenes” documents alone represent over 2.5 Gbytes of disk space.
Amongst the other new services added this year, the list of signatories of the
CIPM MRA has been made available as searchable html pages. These are
easier to consult than the previous flat .pdf file, and include additional
functionality such as links to the external sites and other areas of the BIPM
website, and give details of which domains of metrology are covered by the
designated institutes whenever this information is available (see
http://www.bipm.org/en/cipm-mra/). In accordance with the CIPM’s
guidelines for use of the CIPM MRA logo, adopted in 2006, the guidelines
and the list of laboratories authorized to include the logo in their calibration
certificates, are now available in the CIPM MRA section of the website.
Close links are maintained between the BIPM website and the BIPM key
comparison database (KCDB). From the country-specific areas on the
website (see http://www.bipm.org/en/convention/member_states/), dedicated
links are provided to the calibration and measurement capabilities declared
by the participating laboratories, and statistics are available on their
participation in key and supplementary comparisons. The data in the KCDB
can also be accessed directly using the new BIPM metrology portal (see
below).
Amongst many other updates, the “scientific work” section has been
restructured to mirror the changes in the scientific sections of the BIPM
(http://www.bipm.org/en/scientific/), and Appendix 2 of the SI Brochure,
which is now produced in electronic form only, on the BIPM website, has
been brought up-to-date with a new Mise en pratique for the kelvin, and
updated texts on the practical realization of the definitions of the units of
time and electrical quantities, as well as how to realize the mole.
11.5 The BIPM metrology portal (L. Le Mée, J.R. Miles and C. Thomas)
A significant project over the last year has been the implementation of our
new search engine on the BIPM website and the KCDB.
The new search engine was launched publicly on 6 March 2007. It has the
advantages of full-text and multi-language searching, and dynamically
generated tables of contents based on each search results page to allow an
easy means of refining the search query. As one of the niche services offered
by the BIPM, the new BIPM metrology portal (http://search.bipm.org/)
provides a convenient starting point to search for relevant information on the
BIPM website, the KCDB, and the websites of all NMIs participating in the
CIPM MRA.
As reported previously, a small working group comprising Mr Le Mée (IT
group), Dr Miles (webmaster) and Dr Thomas (coordinator of the KCDB)
carried out a comparison of several commercially available search engines
with a view to the needs of the BIPM. In accordance with their findings, the
BIPM purchased the software “exalead:one enterprise” in December 2005.
Installation of the search engine was undertaken during 2006. The software
comprises seven principal programmes running continuously, and thirty-two
exploring programmes to crawl the BIPM and NMI websites. We currently
have twenty-five distinct data sources, covering web pages, file directories,
and databases. In a close collaboration between the BIPM and EXALEAD,
tailoring the product to the specific needs of the BIPM involved a substantial
amount of work and over 8000 lines of coding.
11.6 Travel (conferences and visits): Publications and Information
Technology section
J. Williams to NPL (Teddington), 23-24 January 2007, to work with the
specialist editor on a future special issue of Metrologia (Radionuclide
Metrology).
J. Miles to Berlin (Germany), 5-7 June 2007, for the PTB-BIPM Workshop
on the Impact of Information Technology in Metrology.
12 MEETINGS AND LECTURES AT THE BIPM
12.1 Meetings
The following meetings were held at the BIPM:
• The CCTF met on 14-15 September 2006; it was preceded by meetings
of its working groups from 11-13 September (including the CCL/CCTF
Joint Working Group on 12-13 September).
• The CCAUV met on 25-26 September 2006; it was followed by
meetings of its RMO Working Group on 27 September.
• A Quality System Review Meeting for International Organizations was
held on 5 October 2006.
• The JCRB held its 17th meeting on 6 October 2006.
• The Directors’ meeting was held on 9-10 October 2006.
• The Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM) met on
3 November 2006. Working Group 1 (GUM) of the JCGM met on 25-
27 October 2006 and on 24-27 April 2007, and Working Group 2 (VIM)
on 29 January – 2 February 2007.
• The CCRI(II) Key Comparison Working Group met on 17 November
2006, and the CCRI RMO Working Group on 20-21 November 2006.
• A meeting of the JCTLM Executive was held on 1 December 2006.
• The CCEM Working Group on Proposed Modifications to the SI was
held on 16-17 January 2007.
• A watt balance technical meeting (WBTM’07) was held from 14-
16 February 2007.
• A joint meeting of the CIPM/ILAC/OIML Working Group was held on
7 March 2007. It was followed by a BIML/ILAC workshop on 8 March,
and a BIPM/ILAC meeting on 9 March.
• The CCEM met on 15-16 March 2007; it was preceded by meetings of
its working groups from 12-14 March.
• The CCM met on 23 March 2007; it was preceded by a meeting of the
CCM working group chairpersons on 22 March.
• The CCQM met on 19-20 April 2007; it was preceded by meetings of its
working groups from 13-18 April.
• The CCRI met on 31 May 2007; it was preceded by meetings of its three
sections from 14-31 May.
• The CCU met on 11-13 June 2007.
• A meeting of a CODATA Task Group on Fundamental Constants was
held on 14 June 2007.
• The CCPR met on 21-22 June 2007; it was preceded by meetings of its
working groups from 18-20 June.
12.2 External Seminars

The following lectures were given at the BIPM, as part of the regular
schedule of External Seminars:
• B. Chauvenet and J. Chavaudra (LNE-LNHB): Les accélérateurs
linéaires en radiothérapie : Intérêt clinique et problèmes métrologiques
associés, 20 September 2006.
• M. Moldover (NIST): Progress toward a primary pressure standard
based on the dielectric permittivity of helium, 17 October 2006.
• P. Giacomo: VIM 3: Pourquoi ? Comment ?, 29 November 2006.
• M. Desenfant and N. Fischer (LNE, Trappes): Le supplément 1 du
GUM, 19 December 2006.
• S. Guellati-Khelifa (Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Paris): A new
determination of the fine structure constant based on Bloch oscillations
of 87Rb atoms in a vertical optical lattice, 24 January 2007.
• E.R. Williams (NIST): Experimental progress toward an SI based on
fundamental constants, 28 February 2007.
• L. Palafox (PTB): AC voltage standards based on programmable
Josephson arrays at PTB, 18 June 2007.
12.3 Internal Seminars

• G. Petitgand: Étude sur la mise en place d'une stratégie de gestion
électronique de documents au sein du BIPM, 22 January 2007.
• C. Goyon and P. Barat: Le nouveau système d'étalonnage des
manomètres du BIPM, 30 January 2007.
• J. Miles, L. Le Mée and C. Thomas: Implantation du moteur de
recherche EXALEAD sur les sites web du BIPM et de la KCDB,
28 March 2007.
• “An Inconvenient Truth”, by D. Guggenheim (A documentary film

about climate change, specially global warming).
13 CERTIFICATES AND NOTES OF STUDY
In the period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007, 81 Certificates and 2 Notes
of Study were delivered.
For a list of Certificates and Notes see pages 136-140.
14 FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION AND GENERAL

SERVICES (B. PERENT)
The BIPM's Finance, Administration and General Services section is

responsible for the smooth running of a wide range of support services such
as financial, equipment purchase, legal and other services. During the last
year, the administrative members of the section moved to a common location
which will facilitate more efficient working. The section has also played a
major role in the projects to update the BIPM's Staff Statute and the more
effective operation of the Staff Commissions, in the preparation of the
23rd CGPM, in particular for the Convocation, including drafting
Resolutions, the “Programme of work and budget of the BIPM for the four
years 2009-2012” and the Kaarl's report.
14.1 Accounts
Details of the accounts for 2006 may be found in the “Rapport annuel aux
Gouvernements des Hautes parties contractantes sur la situation
administrative et financière du Bureau International des Poids et Mesures”.
An abstract of Tables taken from this report may be found on pages 141-147.
The headings for the tables may be translated as follows:

Compte I : Fonds ordinaires Account I: Ordinary funds
Compte II : Caisse de retraite Account II: Pension fund
Compte III : Fonds spécial pour Account III: Special fund
l’amélioration du matériel for the improvement of
scientifique scientific equipment
Compte IV : Caisse de prêts sociaux Account IV: Social loans fund
Compte V : Réserve pour les bâtiments Account V: Building reserve
Compte VI : Metrologia Account VI: Metrologia
Compte VII : Fonds de réserve pour Account VII: Reserve fund for
l'assurance maladie medical insurance
Two additional tables detail the payments made against budget in 2006 and
the balance sheet at 31 December 2006. This is done under the headings:
Détail des dépenses budgétaires Statement of budgetary expenditure
Bilan au 31 décembre 2006 Balance at 31 December 2006
It should be noted that in all tables, since 2001, the unit of currency is the
euro, according to Resolution 13 of the 21st General Conference.
14.2 Staff
14.2.1 Appointments
• Mr Edgar Flores Jardines, born 7 July 1977 in Mexico City (Mexico),

Mexican nationality, previously Doctoral student at Institut für
Meteorologie und Klimaforschung, Atmosphärische Umweltforschung
(IMK-IFU) and at Universidad Nacional Autónoma (Mexico), was
engaged as chimiste in the Chemistry section from 3 January 2007.
• Mr Bruno Vincent, born 4 November 1961 in Deuil-la-Barre (France),
French nationality, previously mechanic in a French private company,
was engaged as mécanicien in the Workshop section from
1 March 2007.
• Mr Guillaume Thibaudeau, born 17 March 1967 in Toulon (France),
French nationality, previously consultant in a French private company,
was engaged as assistant in the Time, Frequency and Gravimetry section
from 1 April 2007.
14.2.2 Promotions and change of grade
• Mrs Céline Fellag-Ariouet, secrétaire, was promoted secrétaire

principale from 1 January 2007.
• Mr Alain Jaouen, technicien in the Electricity section, was promoted

technicien principal from 1 January 2007.
• Dr Claudine Thomas*, physicien principal, Coordinator of the BIPM
key comparison database, was promoted physicien chercheur principal
from 1 January 2007.
• Dr Robert I. Wielgosz*, chimiste principal, head of the Chemistry
section, was promoted chimiste chercheur principal from
1 January 2007.
* These promotions resulted from a vote of the CIPM during its 95th meeting
in October 2006.
14.2.3 Departures
• Dr Dominique Reymann, physicien principal in the Electricity section,

retired on 30 September 2006 after 33 years of service.
• Mr Jean-Bernard Caucheteux, mécanicien principal in the Workshop
section, retired on 31 December 2006 after 19 years of service.
• Mr François Delahaye, physicien chercheur principal in the Electricity
section, retired on 31 December 2006 after 20 years of service.
• Dr Thomas Joseph Witt, physicien chercheur principal, head of the
Electricity section, retired on 30 June 2007 after 35 years of service.
On their retirement, the Director thanked each of these members of staff for
the effective and devoted service during their years at the BIPM.
• Dr Michael B. Esler, chimiste since 4 February 2002 in the Chemistry

section, left the BIPM on 20 October 2006.
• Dr Peter Wolf, physicien since 1 January 1998 in the Time, Frequency
and Gravimetry section, left the BIPM on 31 December 2006.
• Mr Gérald Petitgand, technicien since 15 February 2000 in the
Publications section, left the BIPM on 15 June 2007.
14.3 Buildings
14.3.1 Grand Pavillon
• Refurbishment of three offices on the first floor.
• Refurbishment of three offices on the ground floor.
• Redecoration of the Grande Salle.
• Update of the electricity fittings.

• Maintenance of the roof.
14.3.2 Petit Pavillon

• Renovation of the old workshop to provide additional meeting rooms.
• Refurbishment of a room for archives.
14.3.3 Observatoire
• Redecoration of rooms 3, 11 and 12.
• Refurbishment of room 105.
• Partial replacement of air-conditioning equipment in rooms 6, 14 and
105.
• Maintenance of the roof.
14.3.4 Ionizing Radiation building

• Partial replacement of air-conditioning equipment in rooms S6 and S7.
• Replacement of air-conditioning equipment in rooms R15 and S2.
• Refurbishment of rooms S2 and R11.
14.3.5 Nouveau Pavillon

• Renovation of the lime tree Allee.
• Investigations to identify the origins of a leak at level -2.
14.3.6 Pavillon du Mail

• Partial replacement of air-conditioning equipment.
14.3.7 Outbuildings and park
• Repair of part of the boundary fence.

14.4 Travel: Finance, administration and general services section

B. Perent to:
• Turin (Italy), 7-9 July 2006, for a meeting of the bureau of the CIPM;
• Leuven (Belgium), 15 June 2007, to attend a seminar on ageing and
health care benefits.
B. Perent and R. Cèbe to:
• Noordwijk (The Netherlands), 10-11 May 2007, to attend a workshop on
pensions in international organizations;
• Turin (Italy), 15-16 May 2007, to attend a meeting on privileges and
immunities in international organizations.
R. Cèbe to Washington DC (United States), 27 March 2007, to attend a
colloquium on international administrative tribunals and the rule of law.
15 SECRETARIAT (F. JOLY)
There continues to be a heavy workload on the Secretariat with the many

meetings held at the BIPM. These meetings are essentially those of
Consultative Committees and Working Groups (some of them are
particularly complex with parallel sessions in different parts of the BIPM,
and even at locations not on the site of the BIPM; for example, the CCQM).
The large amount of work required to run the meetings of the BIPM was
exacerbated this year with the work required to prepare and run the General
Conference, held in November 2007. In addition, the meetings of Directors
of National Metrology Institutes, which took place during the General
Conference, required special attention given the number of delegates from
the General Conference who joined the Directors to visit the various science
sections of the BIPM.
Amongst its other responsibilities, the BIPM's Secretariat maintains records
of the BIPM's wide range of international contacts. This database has been
revised and now can be integrated with the other BIPM databases. The
Secretariat, with the assistance of the Administration section also ensures the
smooth running of an increasing number of meetings at the BIPM.
The Secretariat is continuing to develop its knowledge of IT tools, so that our

most important documents for Consultative Committees or for
communications with Member States, Associates of the CGPM and NMI
Directors can be accessed from the BIPM’s website.
16 WORKSHOP AND SITE MAINTENANCE

(J. SANJAIME)
The BIPM workshop provides an essential and much-valued contribution to

our work programme. Many of the activities of the workshop are mentioned
in the reports of the individual sections, but the core mission of the workshop
is to support the technical programme with the construction of specialized
apparatus and, where necessary, when NMIs and others bring items to the
BIPM for calibration. In this latter case, ancillary equipment if often needed
at short notice in response to any problems that may arise or to make repairs
if equipment is damaged in transit, so that the calibration may proceed
smoothly. The availability of a rapid response is critical to the efficiency of
the BIPM’s services to NMI staff who may only be able to visit the BIPM for
fixed, short periods of time.
The workshop carries out high-precision mechanical work for the scientific
sections of the BIPM. In addition, the workshop is the only source of
platinum-iridium prototype kilograms, which are made exclusively for the
Metre Convention and which make use of the specialized equipment and
unique experience of the workshop staff.
During the year, the workshop has successfully contributed to:
• the manufacture of a large number of elements of the calculable
capacitor in a project with the NMIA (Australia) and the NRC (Canada),
which have been sent to Australia;
• the BIPM's watt balance project also benefited this year from the
completion of a number of components;
• a number of mass prototypes in platinum-iridium alloy and in stainless
steel were manufactured;
• a new mass comparator is well on the way to being completed at the

BIPM; and
• the manufacture of complex detectors in graphite for the Ionizing
Radiation section.
In addition, the members of the workshop have assisted in a variety of tasks
relating to the maintenance of the site.
297
LIST OF ACRONYMS
USED IN THE PRESENT VOLUME
1 Acronyms for laboratories, committees and conferences*

A*STAR (former SPRING) Agency for Science, Technology and
Research, Singapore (Singapore)
AACC American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Washington
DC (United States)
ADMET International Conference on Advances in Metrology
AFNOR Association Française de Normalisation, La Plaine Saint-
Denis (France)
AGU American Geophysical Union, Washington DC (United
States)
AIST* National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and
Technology, see NMIJ/AIST
AOAC Association of Analytical Communities
AOS Astrogeodynamical Observatory, Borowiec (Poland)
APLAC Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
APMP Asia/Pacific Metrology Programme
ARPANSA Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety
Agency, Sydney and Melbourne (Australia)
ASN Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, Paris (France)
ATF Asia Pacific Time and Frequency Workshop
BAM Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung, Berlin
(Germany)
BARC Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay (India)
BEV Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen, Vienna
(Austria)
BIPM International Bureau of Weights and Measures/
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures
CC Consultative Committee of the CIPM
CCAUV Consultative Committee for Acoustics, Ultrasound and
Vibration/Comité Consultatif de l’Acoustique, des
Ultrasons et des Vibrations
CCEM Consultative Committee for Electricity and Magnetism/
Comité Consultatif d'Électricité et Magnétisme
* Organizations marked with an asterisk either no longer exist or operate under a

different acronym.
CCL Consultative Committee for Length/

Comité Consultatif des Longueurs
CCM Consultative Committee for Mass and Related Quantities/
Comité Consultatif pour la Masse et les Grandeurs
Apparentées
CCMAS Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
CCPR Consultative Committee for Photometry and Radiometry/
Comité Consultatif de Photométrie et Radiométrie
CCQM Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance:
Metrology in Chemistry/Comité Consultatif pour la
Quantité de Matière : Métrologie en Chimie
CCRI Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation/
Comité Consultatif des Rayonnements Ionisants
CCT Consultative Committee for Thermometry/
Comité Consultatif de Thermométrie
CCTF Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency/
Comité Consultatif du Temps et des Fréquences
CCU Consultative Committee for Units/
Comité Consultatif des Unités
CEM Centro Español de Metrología, Madrid (Spain)
CENAM Centro Nacional de Metrología, Mexico (Mexico)
CETIAT* Centre Technique des Industries Aérauliques et
Thermiques, Villeurbanne (France), see LNE
CGGTTS CCTF Group on GPS Time-Transfer Standards
CGPM General Conference on Weights and Measures/
Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures
CIE International Illumination Commission/Commission
Internationale de l’Éclairage
CIEMAT Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y
Tecnológicas, Madrid (Spain)
CIML International Committee of Legal Metrology/
Comité International de Métrologie Légale
CIMO* Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observation,
see WMO
CIPM International Committee for Weights and Measures/
Comité International des Poids et Mesures
CMI Český Metrologický Institut/Czech Metrological Institute,
Prague (Czech Rep.)
CMI-IIR Český Metrologický Institut/Czech Metrological Institute,
Inspectorate for Ionizing Radiation, Prague and Brno
(Czech Republic)
CNAM* Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris (France),

see LNE
CNES Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Toulouse (France)
CODATA Committee on Data for Science and Technology
Codex Alimentarius Commission created by the FAO and WHO
CONICET Argentine Council of Research
COOMET Euro-Asian Cooperation of National Metrological
Institutions
CPEM Conference on Precision Electromagnetic Measurements
CRRD Centro Regional de Referencia para la Dosimetria, Buenos
Aires (Argentina)
DFM Danish Institute of Fundamental Metrology, Lyngby
(Denmark)
DI Designated Institute
DMDM (former ZMDM) Directorate of Measures and Precious
Metals, Belgrade (Serbia)
DTI Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom)
EC-JRC European Community, Joint Research Centre, Brussels
(Belgium)
EFTF European Frequency and Time Forum
EIM Hellenic Institute of Metrology, Athens (Greece)
ENEA Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente,
Rome (Italy)
ENFSI European Network of Forensic Science Institutes
ESA European Space Agency
ESA-ESTEC European Space Agency, European Space Research and
Technology Centre, Noordwijk (The Netherlands)
EURAMET (the former EUROMET) European Association of National
Metrology Institutes
EUROMET European Collaboration in Measurement Standards
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FCS Frequency Control Symposium
FYROM The Former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia
GAWG CCQM Working Group on Gas Analysis
GGOS Global Geodetic Observing System of the International
Association of Geodesy (IAG)
GT-RF CCEM Working Group on Radiofrequency Quantities/
Groupe de travail du CCEM pour les Grandeurs aux
Radiofréquences
GUM Central Office of Measures/Glówny Urzad Miar, Warsaw
(Poland)
IAC International Avogadro Coordination

IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IAG International Association of Geodesy
IAM Inter-agency Meeting
IAU International Astronomical Union
IBMETRO Instituto Boliviano de Metrología, La Paz (Bolivia)
ICAG International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters
ICRM International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology
ICRU International Commission on Radiation Units and
Measurements
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
Piscataway, NJ (United States)
IERS International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service
IFCS International Frequency Control Symposium
IFIN Institute of Physics of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest
(Romania)
IGS International GNSS Service
IKZ Institut für Kristallzüchtung, Berlin (Germany)
ILAC International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
iMERA implementing Metrology in the European Research Area,
EUROMET project
INM National Institute of Metrology, Bucharest (Romania)
INM* Institut National de Métrologie, see LNE-INM
INMETRO Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalizaçao e
Qualidade Industrial, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
INRIM Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, Turin (Italy)
ION Institute of Navigation, Alexandria, VA (United States)
IOP Institute of Physics, London (United Kingdom)
IOPP Institute of Physics Publishing, London (United Kingdom)
IRA-METAS Institut Universitaire de Radiophysique Appliquée du
METAS, see METAS
IRMM Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements,
European Commission
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ISO CASCO International Organization for Standardization, Conformity
Assessment Committee
ISO REMCO International Organization for Standardization, Committee
on Reference Materials
ITN Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Savacém (Portugal)
ITU International Telecommunication Union
IUPAC International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

IUPAP International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
IVS International VLBI Service
JCDCMAS Joint Committee on Coordination of Assistance to
Developing Countries in Metrology, Accreditation and
Standardization
JCGM Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology
JCRB Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations
and the BIPM
JCTLM Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine
JILA Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO
(United States)
JWG Joint Working Group
KCWG Key Comparison Working Group
KRISS Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon
(Rep. of Korea)
LATU Laboratorio Tecnológico del Uruguay, Montevideo
(Uruguay)
LGC Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Teddington
(United Kingdom)
LISA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, ESA mission
LNE Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, Paris
(France)
LNE-CETIAT Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais, Centre
Technique des Industries Aérauliques et Thermiques,
Villeurbanne (France)
LNE-CNAM Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais,
Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris (France)
LNE-INM Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, Institut
National de Métrologie, Paris (France)
LNE-LNHB Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, Laboratoire
National Henri Becquerel, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
LNE-SYRTE Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d'Essais, Systèmes
de Référence Temps Espace, Paris (France)
LNHB* Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel, see LNE
LNMRI Laboratório Nacional de Metrologia das Radiaçoes
Ionizantes, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
LNMRI-IRD Laboratório Nacional de Metrologia das Radiaçoes
Ionizantes, Instituto de Radioproteção e Dosimetria, Rio de
Janeiro (Brazil)
LSDG Laboratory for Standard Dosimetry, Gent (Belgium)
MAC UK Department of Trade and Industry Measurement

Advisory Committee
METAS Federal Office of Metrology, Bern-Wabern (Switzerland)
MetChem EUROMET Technical Committee: Metrology in Chemistry
MIKES Mittatekniikan Keskus/Centre for Metrology and
Accreditation, Helsinki (Finland)
MITI Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Tokyo (Japan)
MKEH (the former OMH) Hungarian Trade Licensing Office,
Budapest (Hungary)
MRA Mutual Recognition Arrangement
MSL Measurement Standards Laboratory of New Zealand,
Lower Hutt (New Zealand)
NAB National Accreditation Body
NCM National Centre of Metrology, Sofia (Bulgaria)
NCSLI National Conference of Standards Laboratories, Boulder,
CO (United States)
NIM National Institute of Metrology, Beijing (China)
NIS National Institute for Standards, Cairo (Egypt)
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology,
Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
NMi VSL Nederlands Meetinstituut, Van Swinden Laboratorium,
Delft (The Netherlands)
NMI National Metrology Institute
NMIA National Measurement Institute, Australia, Lindfield
(Australia)
NMIJ/AIST National Metrology Institute of Japan, National Institute of
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba
(Japan)
NMISA National Metrology Institute of South Africa, Pretoria
(South Africa)
NMIT National Measurement Institute of Thailand, Bangkok
(Thailand)
NML National Metrology Laboratory, Dublin (Ireland)
NML-SIRIM National Metrology Laboratory, Standards and Industrial
Research Institute, Shah Alam (Malaysia)
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Washington DC (United States)
NPL National Physical Laboratory, Teddington (United
Kingdom)
NRC National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (Canada)
NRC-INMS National Research Council of Canada, Institute for National

Measurement Standards, Ottawa (Canada)
NTSC National Time Service Centre, Lintong (China)
OIML International Organization of Legal Metrology/
Organisation Internationale de Métrologie Légale
OMH* Országos Mérésügyi Hivatal/National Office of Measures,
Budapest (Hungary), see MKEH
OMP Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse (France)
ON Observatoire de Neuchâtel (Switzerland)
ONERA Office National d’Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales,
Châtillon (France)
ORB Observatoire Royal de Belgique, Brussels (Belgium)
PTB Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and
Berlin (Germany)
PTTI Precise Time and Time Interval Applications and Planning
Meeting
RAB Regional Accreditation Body
RMO Regional Metrology Organization
RSC Royal Society of Chemistry
RWTH Rheinische-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen
(Germany)
SADCMET Southern African Development Community Cooperation in
Measurement Traceability
SIM Sistema Interamericano de Metrología
SIRIM* Standards and Industrial Research Institute, Shah Alam
(Malaysia), see NML
SPIE International Society for Optical Engineering
SPRING* Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board, Singapore
(Singapore), see A*STAR
SRC Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Stoughton WI (United
States)
SSDL Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories
SUNAMCO Symbols, Units, Nomenclature, Atomic Masses and
Fundamental Constants, IUPAP Commission
SYRTE* Systèmes de Référence Temps Espace, see LNE
TC Technical Committee
TCEM Technical Committee on Electricity and Magnetism
TempMeko International Symposium on Temperature and Thermal
Measurements in Industry and Science
TG Task Group
UKAS United Kingdom Accreditation Service
UME Ulusal Metroloji Enstitüsü/National Metrology Institute,

Marmara Research Centre, Gebze-Kocaeli (Turkey)
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
USNO U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington DC (United States)
VERMI Virtual European Radionuclide Metrology Institute
VNIIFTRI All-Russian Research Institute for Physical, Technical and
Radiophysical Measurements, Rostekhregulirovaniye of
Russia, Moscow (Russian Fed.)
VNIIM D.I. Mendeleyev Institute for Metrology, Rostekh-
regulirovaniye of Russia, St Petersburg (Russian Fed.)
VNIIMS Russian Research Institute for Metrological Service of
Rostekhregulirovaniye of Russia, Moscow (Russian Fed.)
VSL* Van Swinden Laboratorium, see NMi VSL
WBTM Watt Balance Technical Meeting
WG Working Group
WGACQHR CCEM Working Group on Measurements of the Quantized
Hall Resistance with Alternating Current and Related
Measurements
WGDM CCL Working Group on Dimensional Metrology
WGG CCM Working Group on Gravimetry
WGLF CCEM Working Group on Low-Frequency Quantities
WGRMO Working Group on Regional Metrology Organizations
WGSP Working Group on Strategic Planning
WGUV Working Group on Ultraviolet
WHO World Health Organization
WMD World Metrology Day
WMO World Meteorological Organization
WMO CIMO World Meteorological Organization, Commission for
Instruments and Methods of Observation
ZMDM* Bureau of Measures and Precious Metals, Beograd (Serbia
and Montenegro), see DMDM
2 Acronyms for scientific terms

ALC Automatic Loadable Container
BMC Best Measurement Capability
CCC Cryogenic Current Comparator
CMC Calibration and Measurement Capabilities
CRM Certified Reference Material
DSC Differential Scanning Calorimetry
EAL Free Atomic Time Scale/Échelle Atomique Libre
FTIR Fourier Transform Infrared Technique
GB Glove Box
GC Gas Chromatography
GLONASS Global Navigation Satellite System
GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System
GPS Global Positioning System
GUM Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement
IT Information Technology
IVD In vitro Diagnostic
JAVS Josephson Array Voltage Standard
KCDB BIPM Key Comparison Database
KCRV Key Comparison Reference Value
LC Liquid Chromatography
LS Liquid Scintillation
MC Measurement Capability
MS Mass Spectrometry
NMR Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
PFS Primary Frequency Standard
PPT Precise Point Positioning
QHR Quantum Hall Resistance
QM Quality Management System
QS Quality System
SI International System of Units/Système International
d’Unités
SINIS Superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-super-
conductor
SIR International Reference System for gamma-ray emitting
radionuclides/Système International de Référence pour les
mesures d’activité d’émetteurs de rayonnement gamma
SNS Superconductor-normal metal-superconductor
SRP Standard Reference Photometer
TAI International Atomic Time/Temps Atomique International
TDCR Triple-to-Double Coincidence Ratio Technique
TT Terrestrial Time
TWSTFT Two-way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer
UTC Coordinated Universal Time
UV Ultraviolet
VIM The International Vocabulary of Metrology, Basic and
General Concepts and Associated Terms (3rd edition)
VLBI Very Long Baseline Interferometry
VOC Volatile Organic Compound
VTS Vacuum Transfer System

YAG Yttrium Aluminium Garnet
STEDI
1, Boulevard Ney, 75018 Paris
Dépôt légal, n° 10204
ISBN 92-822-2225-X
ISSN 1606-3740
Achevé d’imprimer : avril 2008
Imprimé en France

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Bureau International des Poids et Mesures

Director’s Report on the

To make its work more widely accessible the

Member States and Associates of the General Conference 173

Director’s Report on the Activity and Management of the International

2.4 International Avogadro Coordination project 204

3 Time, Frequency and Gravimetry 212

3.11 Iodine cells 219

5 Ionizing Radiation 241

7 Special projects 264

8 The BIPM key comparison database, KCDB 269

9 The Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations and the

10.3 JCGM WG 2: VIM 282

11 Publications and Information Technology 283

12 Meetings and lectures at the BIPM 288

13 Certificates and Notes of study 290

14 Finance, administration and general services 290

16 Workshop and site maintenance 295

List of acronyms used in the present volume 297

MEMBER STATES AND

Argentina Korea (Dem. People's Rep. of)

Associates of the General Confer ence

THE BIPM AND

The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) was set up by

uniformity in units of measurement. It does this by direct action or by

2. The Consultative Committee for Photometry and Radiometry (CCPR),

The BIPM also publishes monographs on special metrological subjects and,

Director: Prof. A.J. Wallard

Mass: Dr R.S. Davis

Time, frequency and gravimetry: Dr E.F. Arias

Electricity: Dr T.J. Witt

Ionizing radiation: Dr P.J. Allisy-Roberts

Chemistry: Dr R.I. Wielgosz

Publications and Information technology: Dr J. Williams

BIPM key comparison database: Dr C. Thomas2

Quality systems, ISO and ILAC liaison: Dr R. Köhler

Secretariat: Mrs F. Joly

Finance, administration and general services: Mrs B. Perent

Caretakers: Mr and Mrs Dominguez3, Mr and Mrs Neves3

Workshop and site maintenance: Mr J. Sanjaime

Emeritus directors: Prof. P. Giacomo, Dr T.J. Quinn

1 Head of special projects.

1.1 General introduction and summary of scientific work

1.2 The International System of Units (SI)

1.3 The CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)

1.4 Member States and Associates

1.5 NMI Directors’ Meeting

1.6 Meeting of the CIPM

complemented by two summaries for widespread distribution. All three

1.7 The General Conference on Weights and Measures

proposed changes to definitions of some SI units and a number of policy

1.8 The Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations

1.9 The Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM)

1.10 The Joint Committee for Traceability in Laboratory Medicine

1.11 Liaison with intergovernmental organizations and international

• The signing of an Agreement between the CIPM and the International

1.12 World Metrology Day (WMD)

before. The theme, “Measurements in our environment”, attracted a huge

1.13 BIPM staff commissions