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Studies Of Polarized And Unpolarized Helium -3 In The Presence Of Alkali Vapor, Kelly Anita Kluttz

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

At the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, glass target cells containing a high density of highly polarized 3He nuclei are used in electron scattering experiments studying the substructure of the neutron. In addition to 3He, these cells contain a small amount of rubidium (Rb), potassium (K), and nitrogen (N2), which facilitate the polarization process. The work presented here represents studies of the interactions between the alkali vapor and 3He nuclei when both are polarized and unpolarized.;Our investigations into the mechanisms responsible for the relaxation of the 3He polarization have measured unusually large polarization losses. In addition, most cells studied exhibited …