Berlin 2005 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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DY: Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 10: Fluid Dynamics I

DY 10.6: Vortrag

Freitag, 4. März 2005, 11:30–11:45, TU H3010

FEM simulations on the production of hyperpolarized xenon — •Alexander Fink and Eike Brunner — Institut für Biophysik und physikalische Biochemie, Universität Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg

Hyperpolarized xenon can be used to increase the sensitivity of NMR experiments by up to 6 orders of magnitude. Applications include medical imaging, low-field NMR, surface NMR spectroscopy, biological magnetic resonance, fundamental physics etc.

Hyperpolarized xenon is produced in pump cells within which Rb vapor is optically pumped by the irradiation of circularly polarized laser light. The Rb electron spin polarization is then transferred to the Xe-129 nuclei.

While the underlying quantum mechanical processes are understood quite well, little is known about the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic processes taking place inside the pump cell.

By use of the finite element method (FEMLAB 3.0a) we numerically solve 8 coupled macroscopic differential equations, coupling the velocity field, temperature, spin pump rate, and spin polarizations.

We discuss the optimisation of experimental parameters of the pump cell, e.g. flow rate, laser power etc., in order to receive a maximum Xe-129 spin polarization.