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Measurement of {sup 129}Xe-Cs binary spin-exchange rate coefficient

Journal Article · · Physical Review. A
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

We report the first measurement of the spin-exchange rate coefficient for binary collisions between Cs and {sup 129}Xe atoms in the temperature range 110<T<150 deg. C at a 9.4-T magnetic field. Under these conditions, binary spin-exchange collisions dominate the longitudinal nuclear spin-relaxation rate 1/T{sub 1} of {sup 129}Xe gas. We measured 1/T{sub 1} of a thermally polarized Xe gas using the saturation-recovery of conventional nuclear magnetic resonance. We also directly measured the Cs atomic number density [Cs] by using Faraday rotation of the linear polarization of a probing laser beam passing through the sample. The measured rate coefficient is {kappa}(9.4 T)=d(1/T{sub 1})/d[Cs]=(2.81{+-}0.2)x10{sup -16} cm{sup 3}/s, which is about a factor of 1.6 higher than the previously measured spin-exchange rate coefficient of {sup 129}Xe-Rb binary collisions. Using a calculated magnetic decoupling factor, we extrapolate our result to zero magnetic field: {kappa}(0 T)=(4.1{+-}0.3)x10{sup -16} cm{sup 3}/s.

OSTI ID:
20643710
Journal Information:
Physical Review. A, Journal Name: Physical Review. A Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 69; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English