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Nuclear polarization of /sup 129/Xe by spin-exchange with /sup 87/Rb

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6181780

Nuclear polarization of /sup 129/Xe in the presence of /sup 87/Rb vapor, N/sub 2/ and He buffer gases has been studied. The /sup 129/Xe nuclei are polarized via spin-exchange collisions with optically oriented /sup 87/Rb. Longitudinal relaxation of the /sup 129/Xe nuclear polarization has been measured for the first time by optically monitoring the re-orientation of /sup 87/Rb electronic spin produced in spin-exchange collisions with /sup 129/Xe. In agreement with earlier studies, the relaxation has been found to be dependent on buffer gas concentration. In addition, it has been found that the relaxation is dependent on the external magnetic field intensity. The magnetic field dependence of the relaxation is consistent with spin-exchange occurring in RbXe Van der Waals molecules, and indicates that less relaxation occurs in binary collision processes than previously thought. Absolute measurements of the re-orientation of /sup 87/Rb indicate further that the ratio of spin orbit coupling, ..cap alpha..N, to spin-exchange coupling, ..gamma.., in the RbXe molecule is large: 3 less than or equal to ..cap alpha..N/..gamma.. less than or equal to 30.

Research Organization:
Columbia Univ., New York (USA)
OSTI ID:
6181780
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English