Polarized {sup 3}He gas compression system using metastability-exchange optical pumping

Journal Article · Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1898163· OSTI ID:20722201

Hussey, D S; Rich, D R; Belov, A S; Tong, X; Yang, H; Bailey, C; Keith, C D; Hartfield, J; Hall, G D.R.; Black, T C; Snow, W M; Gentile, T R; Chen, W C; Jones, G L; Wildman, E ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, 2401 Milo B. Sampson Lane, Bloomington, Indiana 47408 (United States)

Dense samples (10-100 bar cm) of nuclear spin polarized {sup 3}He are utilized in high energy physics, neutron scattering, atomic physics, and magnetic resonance imaging. Metastability exchange optical pumping can rapidly produce high {sup 3}He polarizations ({approx_equal}80%) at low pressures (few mbar). We describe a polarized {sup 3}He gas compressor system which accepts 0.26 bar l h{sup -1} of {sup 3}He gas polarized to 70% by a 4 W neodymium doped lanthanum magnesium hexaluminate (Nd:LMA) laser and compresses it into a 5 bar cm target with final polarization of 55%. The spin relaxation rates of the system's components have been measured using nuclear magnetic resonance and a model of the {sup 3}He polarization loss based on the measured relaxation rates and the gas flow is in agreement with a {sup 3}He polarization measurement using neutron transmission.

• OSTI ID: 20722201
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 76, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1898163; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMIC PHYSICS
COMPRESSION
DOPED MATERIALS
GAS COMPRESSORS
GAS FLOW
HELIUM
HELIUM 3
HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS
LANTHANUM
MAGNESIUM
NEODYMIUM
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
NEUTRONS
NMR IMAGING
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
OPTICAL PUMPING
POLARIZATION
RELAXATION
SPIN ORIENTATION