DOC; Mountain Administrative Support Center; Acquisition Management Division; 325 Broadway MC3; Boulder, CO 80303-3328

66 -- HELIUM-3 CRYOSTAT SOL NB8150000044087JW DUE 053000 POC Jacqueline Wright (303) 497-5282, FAX (303) 497-3163 E-MAIL: NOAA; MASC Acquisitions Management, Jacqueline.S.Wright@noaa.gov. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement to provide a custom-made cryostat that will cool samples to a temperature that is less that 300 milliKelvin. This cryostat must have optical access to the cold specimen via two parallel transparent windows. The only type of cryostat that can meet the requirements is a helium-3 cryostat. This type of cryostat uses a liquid helium reservoir to cool the sample to about 4 Kelvin which provides heat shielding from external heat sources. It then uses a contained reservoir of Helium-3 gas to cool the specimen down to the required temperature. The Helium-3 refrigerator must have the following specifications for the system, as delivered: 1. Optical access via 2 opposing 1 inch diameter windows with filters to reject light of wavelength less than 0.5 microns and from 2 to 50 microns. 2. One of the above windows must be no more than 20 mm from the closest point at which the sample can be placed. 3. The maximum permissible temperature withthe specimen in the dark (that is, the windows closed off) and no input heat load is 300 milliKelvin. The hold time at this temperature must not be less than 8 hours. 4. The maximum permissible temperature with the specimen in the light (windows open, but no direct illumination of the specimen) is 650 milliKelvin. 5. The liquid helium and liquid nitrogen reservoirs must each have a hold time of a least 24 hours. Interested sources must submit a written qualification statement with literature, by May 30, 2000, and must contain sufficient information to clearly establish the ability to provide the necessary equipment. Responses must reference Synopsis No. NB814000004113JW. This announcement/solicitation is being issued under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures, FAR Part 13 (NTE $100,000.00) and is not a request for quotes. There is no bid package available, just the important salient characteristics listed above. The award decision will be based upon the best value to the Government, with technical merit, past performance and availability being significantly more important than price. Terms and Conditions and agency level protest procedures are referenced at http://netsite.esa.doc.gov.oam. In the absence of other qualified sources, based on the responses, it is the intent of the government to negotiate with Infrared Laboratories, Tucson, AZ. Technical questions can be directed to Rich Mirin at (303) 497-7955. JACQUELINE WRIGHT Purchasing Agent Posted 05/24/00 (D-SN458424). (0145)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0437 20000526\66-0022.SOL)