Steven Richard Parnell1, Martin H. Deppe1, Stephen Boag2, Salma Ajraoui1, Juan Parra-Robles1, Jim M. Wild1
1Unit of Academic Radiology, University
of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK; 2ISIS, Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of narrowed high power laser systems in the optical pumping of 129Xe at ~2.5Bar. For this work we have investigated the alkali metal polarisation and light absorption in order to assess the advantages of using a narrowed pumping source. These simple and inexpensive diagnostic measurements have allowed us to quickly optimise the optimum temperature for optical pumping at this cell pressure, as evidenced by the NMR measurements presented.