High-resolution NMR of low pressure laser-polarized 129Xe gas

Diffusion NMR methods applied to xenon gas for materials study

We report initial NMR studies of (i) xenon gas diffusion in model heterogeneous porous media and (ii) continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas. Both areas utilize the pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) techniques in the gas phase, with the aim of obtaining more sophisticated information than just translational self-diffusion coefficients--a brief overview of this area is provided in the Introduction. The heterogeneous or multiple-length scale model porous media consisted of random packs of mixed glass beads of two different sizes. We focus on observing the approach of the time-dependent gas diffusion coefficient, D(t) (an indicator of mean squared displacement), to the long-time asymptote, with the aim of understanding the long-length scale structural information that may be derived from a heterogeneous porous system. We find that D(t) of imbibed xenon gas at short diffusion times is similar for the mixed bead pack and a pack of the smaller sized beads alone, hence reflecting the pore surface area to volume ratio of the smaller bead sample. The approach of D(t) to the long-time limit follows that of a pack of the larger sized beads alone, although the limiting D(t) for the mixed bead pack is lower, reflecting the lower porosity of the sample compared to that of a pack of mono-sized glass beads. The Pade approximation is used to interpolate D(t) data between the short- and long-time limits. Initial studies of continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas demonstrate velocity-sensitive imaging of much higher flows than can generally be obtained with liquids (20-200 mm s-1). Gas velocity imaging is, however, found to be limited to a resolution of about 1 mm s-1 owing to the high diffusivity of gases compared with liquids. We also present the first gas-phase NMR scattering, or diffusive-diffraction, data, namely flow-enhanced structural features in the echo attenuation data from laser-polarized xenon flowing through a 2 mm glass bead pack.

Nuclear magnetic resonance of laser-polarized noble gases in molecules, materials, and organisms

The sensitivity of conventional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques is fundamentally limited by the ordinarily low spin polarization achievable in even the strongest NMR magnets. However, by transferring angular momentum from laser light to electronic and nuclear spins, optical pumping methods can increase the nuclear spin polarization of noble gases by several orders of magnitude, thereby greatly enhancing their NMR sensitivity. This review describes the principles and magnetic resonance applications of laser-polarized noble gases. The enormous sensitivity enhancement afforded by optical pumping can be exploited to permit a variety of novel NMR experiments across numerous disciplines. Many such experiments are reviewed, including the void-space imaging of organisms and materials, NMR and MRI of living tissues, probing structure and dynamics of molecules in solution and on surfaces, NMR sensitivity enhancement via polarization transfer, and low-field NMR and MRI.

Probing porous media with gas diffusion NMR

We show that gas diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (GD-NMR) provides a powerful technique for probing the structure of porous media. In random packs of glass beads, using both laser-polarized and thermally polarized xenon gas, we find that GD-NMR can accurately measure the pore space surface-area-to-volume ratio, S/V rho, and the tortuosity, alpha (the latter quantity being directly related to the system's transport properties). We also show that GD-NMR provides a good measure of the tortuosity of sandstone and complex carbonate rocks.

Single-shot diffusion measurement in laser-polarized Gas

A single-shot pulsed gradient stimulated echo sequence is introduced to address the challenges of diffusion measurements of laser polarized 3He and 129Xe gas. Laser polarization enhances the NMR sensitivity of these noble gases by >10(3), but creates an unstable, nonthermal polarization that is not readily renewable. A new method is presented which permits parallel acquisition of the several measurements required to determine a diffusive attenuation curve. The NMR characterization of a sample's diffusion behavior can be accomplished in a single measurement, using only a single polarization step. As a demonstration, the diffusion coefficient of a sample of laser-polarized 129Xe gas is measured via this method.

Pulsed-field-gradient measurements of time-dependent gas diffusion

Pulsed-field-gradient NMR techniques are demonstrated for measurements of time-dependent gas diffusion. The standard PGSE technique and variants, applied to a free gas mixture of thermally polarized xenon and O2, are found to provide a reproducible measure of the xenon diffusion coefficient (5.71 x 10(-6) m2 s-1 for 1 atm of pure xenon), in excellent agreement with previous, non-NMR measurements. The utility of pulsed-field-gradient NMR techniques is demonstrated by the first measurement of time-dependent (i.e., restricted) gas diffusion inside a porous medium (a random pack of glass beads), with results that agree well with theory. Two modified NMR pulse sequences derived from the PGSE technique (named the Pulsed Gradient Echo, or PGE, and the Pulsed Gradient Multiple Spin Echo, or PGMSE) are also applied to measurements of time dependent diffusion of laser polarized xenon gas, with results in good agreement with previous measurements on thermally polarized gas. The PGMSE technique is found to be superior to the PGE method, and to standard PGSE techniques and variants, for efficiently measuring laser polarized noble gas diffusion over a wide range of diffusion times.

Longitudinal relaxation and diffusion measurements using magnetic resonance signals from laser-hyperpolarized 129Xe nuclei

Methods for T1 relaxation and diffusion measurements based on magnetic resonance signals from laser-hyperpolarized 129Xe nuclei are introduced. The methods involve optimum use of the perishable hyperpolarized magnetization of 129Xe. The necessary theoretical framework for the methods is developed, and then the methods are applied to measure the longitudinal relaxation constant, T1, and the self-diffusion constant, D, of hyperpolarized 129Xe. In a cell containing natural abundance 129Xe at 790 Torr, the T1 value was determined to be 155 +/- 5 min at 20 degrees C and at 2.0 T field. For a second cell at 896 Torr, at the same field and temperature, the T1 value was determined to be 66 +/- 2 min. At a higher field of 7.05 T, the T1 values for the two cells were found to be 185 +/- 10 and 88 +/- 5 min, respectively. The 129Xe self-diffusion constant for the first cell was measured to be 0.057 cm2/ s and for the second cell it was 0.044 cm2/s. The methods were applied to 129Xe in the gas phase, in vitro; however, they are, in principle, applicable for in vivo or ex vivo studies. The potential role of these methods in the development of newly emerging hyper-polarized 129Xe MRI applications is discussed.