PACS™ (Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme) numbers, based on the International Classification Scheme for Physics created by the American Institute of Physics and published by The International Council for Scientific and Technical Information, are a group of up to six alpha-numeric characters designed to classify in detail the technical content of scientific papers. In addition to making it easier for journal editors to identify suitable referees, when attached to the abstract of a manuscript they make it possible for automated search engines to rapidly and unambiguously identify the likely audience for the paper. This information can then be employed to compile one of the many computer generated abstract lists that are targeted to readers with specific interests (e.g., scanning microscopy, laser confocal imaging, etc.). Because the original PACS system was designed for the physical sciences it is somewhat deficient in biological content although it covers instrumentation issues quite acceptably.
Because the inclusion of one or more relevant PACS numbers on a published paper enhances the probability that it will be brought to the attention of researchers with an interest in that particular topic SCANNING has, for the past two years, requested that authors of manuscripts submitted for publication in the journal take the time to add their selection of appropriate PACS numbers to their paper.
Unfortunately a significant fraction of all manuscripts that are submitted during the past twelve months have not been accompanied by PACS data. Clearly many authors had simply not noted the requirement in the INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS, or they had no idea what PACS numbers were, or possibly they had no idea where to find a listing of PACS categories from which to work. In fact the complete list of PACS numbers can be downloaded from the American Institute of Physics website (http://www.aip.org/pacs/) but it runs to some thirty pages of small print, and navigating this can be a daunting and confusing task. As an aid to prospective authors a list of the PACS numbers that are most relevant to the subject matter of SCANNING is given below. Please help us to help you and your paper get the maximum exposure by using this list to index your paper when you submit it to us. Thanks — and pax vobiscum.
David C. Joy, Editor-in-Chief
| PACS Number | Topic | |
| 00.00.00 | GENERAL | |
| 01.00.00 | Communication, education, history, and philosophy | |
| 01.10.-m | Announcements, news, and organizational activities | |
| 01.10.Cr | Announcements, news, and awards | |
| 01.10.Fv | Conferences, lectures, and institutes | |
| 01.30.Bb | Publications of lectures (advanced institutes, summer schools, etc.) | |
| 01.30.Cc | Conference proceedings | |
| 01.30.Ee | Monographs and collections | |
| 01.30.Kj | Handbooks, dictionaries, tables, and data compilations | |
| 01.30.Mm | Textbooks for graduates and researchers | |
| 01.30.Pp | Textbooks for undergraduates | |
| 01.30.Rr | Surveys and tutorial papers; resource letters | |
| 01.30.Tt | Bibliographies | |
| 01.30.Vv | Book reviews | |
| 01.30.Xx | Publications in electronic media (for the topic of electronic publishing, see 01.20) |
|
| 01.50.Lc | Laboratory computer use (see also 01.50.Pa) |
|
| 02.30.Nw | Fourier analysis | |
| 02.70.Tt | Justifications or modifications of Monte Carlo methods | |
| 02.70.Uu | Applications of Monte Carlo methods | |
| 05.10.Ln | Monte Carlo methods | |
| 05.40.Fb | Random walks and Levy flights | |
| 05.45.Df | Fractals (see also 47.53 Fractals in fluid dynamics) |
|
| 06.00.00 | Metrology, measurements, and laboratory procedures | |
| 06.20.-f | Metrology | |
| 07.05.Pj | Image processing | |
| 07.05.Tp | Computer modeling and simulation | |
| 07.10.Cm | Micromechanical devices and systems | |
| 07.20.Fw | Calorimeters (for carolimeters as radiation detectors, see 29.40.Vj) |
|
| 07.50.-e | Electrical and electronic instruments and components | |
| 07.50.Ek | Circuits and circuit components (see also 84.30 Electronic circuits and 84.32 Passive circuit components) |
|
| 07.50.Hp | Electrical noise and shielding equipment | |
| 07.50.Qx | Signal processing electronics (see also 84.40.Ua-in radiowave and microwave technology) |
|
| 07.78.+s | Electron, positron, and ion microscopes; electron diffractometers | |
| 07.79.-v | Scanning probe microscopes and components (see also 68.37.-d in surfaces and interfaces) |
|
| 07.79.Cz | Scanning tunneling microscopes | |
| 07.79.Fc | Near-field scanning optical microscopes | |
| 07.79.Lh | Atomic force microscopes | |
| 07.79.Pk | Magnetic force microscopes | |
| 07.79.Sp | Friction force microscopes | |
| 07.81.+a | Electron AND ion spectrometers | |
| 07.85.Tt | X-ray microscopes | |
| 25.30.Bf | Elastic electron scattering | |
| 25.30.Dh | Inelastic electron scattering to specific states | |
| 25.30.Fj | Inelastic electron scattering to continuum | |
| 25.70.-z | Low and intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions | |
| 29.30.Dn | Electron spectroscopy | |
| 29.40.Vj | Calorimeters | |
| 29.40.Wk | Solid-state detectors | |
| 29.50.+v | Computer interfaces (see also 07.05.Wr in computers in experimental physics) |
|
| 29.85.+c | Computer data analysis | |
| 34.50.Bw | Energy loss and stopping power | |
| 34.50.Dy | Interactions of atoms and molecules with surfaces; photon and electron emission; | |
| 34.80.-i | Electron scattering | |
| 34.80.Bm | Elastic scattering of electrons by atoms and molecules | |
| 34.80.Dp | Atomic excitation and ionization by electron impact | |
| 34.80.Gs | Molecular excitation and ionization by electron impact | |
| 34.80.Ht | Dissociation and dissociative attachment by electron impact | |
| 34.80.Kw | Electron-ion scattering; excitation and ionization | |
| 41.00.00 | Electromagnetism; electron and ion optics | |
| 41.75.Fr | Electron and positron beams | |
| 41.85.Gy | Chromatic and geometrical aberrations | |
| 42.25.Kb | Coherence | |
| 42.30.Kq | Fourier optics | |
| 42.30.Lr | Modulation and optical transfer functions | |
| 42.30.Rx | Phase retrieval | |
| 42.30.Sy | Pattern recognition | |
| 42.30.Tz | Computer vision; robotic vision | |
| 42.30.Va | Image forming and processing | |
| 42.40.-i | Holography | |
| 42.40.Ht | Hologram recording and read-out methods (see also 42.70.Ln Holographic recording materials; optical storage media) |
|
| 42.40.Jv | Computer-generated holograms | |
| 42.40.Kw | Holographic interferometry; other holographic techniques (see also 07.60.Ly Interferometers) |
|
| 42.82.Cr | Fabrication techniques; lithography, pattern transfer | |
| 61.10.Dp | Theories of diffraction and scattering | |
| 61.14.-x | Electron diffraction and scattering (for electron diffractometers, see 07.65) |
|
| 61.14.Dc | Theories of diffraction and scattering | |
| 61.14.Hg | Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and reflection high-energy electron | |
| 61.14.Lj | Convergent-beam electron diffraction, selected-area electron diffraction, nanodiffraction | |
| 61.14.Nm | Electron holography | |
| 61.72.Dd | Experimental determination of defects by diffraction and scattering | |
| 61.72.Ff | Direct observation of dislocations and other defects (etch pits, decoration, electron microscopy, x-ray topography, etc.) | |
| 61.72.Ji | Point defects (vacancies, interstitials, color centers, etc.) and defect clusters | |
| 61.72.Lk | Linear defects: dislocations, disclinations | |
| 61.72.Mm | Grain and twin boundaries | |
| 61.72.Nn | Stacking faults and other planar or extended defects | |
| 61.72.Qq | Microscopic defects (voids, inclusions, etc.) | |
| 61.72.Ss | Impurity concentration, distribution, and gradients (for impurities in thin films, see 68.55.Ln; see also 66.30.Jt Diffusion of impurities) |
|
| 61.72.Tt | Doping and impurity implantation in germanium and silicon | |
| 61.72.Vv | Doping and impurity implantation in III-V and II-VI semiconductors | |
| 61.72.Ww | Doping and impurity implantation in other materials | |
| 61.80.-x | Physical radiation effects, radiation damage (for photochemical reactions, see 82.50.-m) | |
| 61.80.Fe | Electrons and positron radiation effects | |
| 61.82.Bg | Metals and alloys | |
| 61.82.Fk | Semiconductors | |
| 61.82.Ms | Insulators | |
| 61.82.Pv | Polymers, organic compounds | |
| 61.82.Rx | Nanocrystalline materials | |
| 61.85.+p | Channeling phenomena (blocking, energy loss, etc.) | |
| 68.37.-d | Microscopy of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films | |
| 68.37.Ef | Scanning tunneling microscopy (including chemistry induced with STM) | |
| 68.37.Hk | Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (including EBIC) | |
| 68.37.Lp | Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (including STEM, HRTEM, etc.) | |
| 68.37.Nq | Low energy electron microscopy (LEEM) | |
| 68.37.Ps | Atomic force microscopy (AFM) | |
| 68.37.Rt | Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) | |
| 68.37.Tj | Acoustic force microscopy | |
| 68.37.Uv | Near-field scanning microscopy and spectroscopy | |
| 68.37.Vj | Field emission and field-ion microscopy | |
| 68.37.Xy | Scanning Auger microscopy, photoelectron microscopy | |
| 68.37.Yz | X-ray microscopy | |
| 68.49.Jk | Electron scattering from surfaces | |
| 73.63.Fg | Nanotubes | |
| 73.63.Hs | Quantum wells | |
| 73.63.Kv | Quantum dots | |
| 73.63.Nm | Quantum wires | |
| 73.63.Rt | Nanoscale contacts | |
| 78.60.Hk | Cathodoluminescence, ionoluminescence | |
| 78.67.-n | Optical properties of nanoscale materials and structures | |
| 78.67.Bf | Nanocrystals and nanoparticles | |
| 78.67.Ch | Nanotubes | |
| 78.67.De | Quantum wells | |
| 78.67.Hc | Quantum dots | |
| 78.67.Lt | Quantum wires | |
| 79.20.Ds | Laser-beam impact phenomena | |
| 79.20.Fv | Electron impact: Auger emission | |
| 79.20.Hx | Electron impact: secondary emission | |
| 81.05.Bx | Metals, semimetals, and alloys | |
| 81.05.Cy | Elemental semiconductors | |
| 81.05.Dz | II-VI semiconductors | |
| 81.05.Ea | III-V semiconductors | |
| 81.05.Gc | Amorphous semiconductors | |
| 81.05.Hd | Other semiconductors | |
| 81.07.-b | Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization | |
| 81.07.Bc | Nanocrystalline materials | |
| 81.07.De | Nanotubes | |
| 81.07.Lk | Nanocontacts | |
| 81.15.Jj | Ion and electron beam-assisted deposition; ion plating | |
| 81.16.Nd | Nanolithography | |
| 81.70.Jb | Chemical composition analysis, chemical depth and dopant profiling | |
| 82.80.Pv | Electron spectroscopy (x-ray photoelectron (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), etc.) | |
| 85.40.-e | Microelectronics: LSI, VLSI, ULSI; integrated circuit fabrication technology (see also 85.45 Vacuum microelectronics) |
|
| 85.40.Hp | Lithography, masks and pattern transfer Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and devices, see 85.85.+j |
|
| 85.40.Ls | Metallization, contacts, interconnects; device isolation | |
| 85.40.Qx | Microcircuit quality, noise, performance, and failure analysis | |
| 85.40.Ry | Impurity doping, diffusion and ion implantation technology | |
| 85.45.Db | Field emitter and arrays, cold electron emitters | |
| 87.50.-a | Effects of radiation and external fields on biomolecules, cells and higher organisms | |
| 87.50.Gi | Ionizing radiations (ultraviolet, x-rays, y-rays, ions, electrons, positrons, neutrons, and mesons, etc.) |