Laser-polarized Noble Gases for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

摘要

This paper describes a technique in which noble gases such as ~3He and ~(129)Xe are polarized using optical pumping techniques, and used as a source of signal for magnetic resonance imaging. Techniques for polarizing the gas and a few representative examples of clinical applications are presented. Also emphasized is the connection between noble-gas imaging and the use of polarized gaseous targets in nuclear and particle physics experiments such as E142, an experiment at SLAC to study the spin structure of the neutron.