| Nuclear polarization of 129Xe can be enhanced by up to five orders of magnitude by optical pumping and spin exchange. The resulting magnetization can be used as a powerful probe for magnetic resonance imaging. Because the magnetization is largely independent of the magnetic field strength, field strengths up to three orders of magnitude lower than conventional field strengths (1.5 T) can be used to image hyperpolarized 129Xe. This, among other things, may drastically reduce the cost of the magnet used.; Nuclear magnetic resonance of hyperpolarized 129Xe gas is investigated at 85 G and the signal-to-noise ratio compared to that of signals acquired at 1.89 T. A dedicated 85 G resistive magnet was constructed and used to acquire the signals. T1 relaxation time measurements were made and radiation damping effects checked for. The SNR at 85 G was measured to be ∼500 while the SNR at 1.89 T was measured to be ∼10000. This work suggests that Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging at 85 G should be feasible using hyperpolarized 129Xe gas. |
