Nuclear Moment Alignment, Relaxation and Detection Mechanisms.
Abstract
The reported physics research is part of an overall program to develop a nuclear magnetic resonance gyro that makes use of an optically pumped alkali metal vapor both to align the magnetic moments of the noble gas nuclei and to detect the weak magnetic fields that are generated by these processing nuclear moments. Experimental data are described which confirm the model of the role of the alkali-atom-noble-gas-atom van der Waals molecule in the alkali-electronic-noble-gas-nuclear spin exchange interaction. Some properties of this molecule are extracted from the data together with an estimate for the spin exchange cross section in the binary alkali-atom-noble-gas-atom collisions. Measurements of the spin dynamic properties of Xe(131) are described. The relaxation of Xe(131) in the presence of an alkali vapor is attributed to spin exchange with the alkali vapor, collisions with the walls of the experimental cell, and collisions with the foreign buffer gas atoms in the cell. Estimates of the magnitudes of these relaxation contributions are made for particular experimentals cells. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA081880
Entities
People
- C. H. Volk