Chemically-polarized material for nuclear and particle physics

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of chemical hyperpolarization via SABRE to produce spin-polarized materials for nuclear and particle physics, offering a potentially more practical alternative to traditional methods.

Contribution

It demonstrates the feasibility of using SABRE hyperpolarization to create resilient, polarized materials suitable for detectors and targets in high-radiation environments.

Findings

No depolarization observed in beam tests

Resilience to radiation doses up to 3 kGy

Potential use as scintillation or Cherenkov detectors

Abstract

Spin-polarized solid targets have underpinned many recent key advances in nuclear and particle physics, yet traditional methods to produce them face significant limitations due to the high cost and demanding cryogenic and magnetic field requirements. These factors constrain experimental geometries and present challenges in intense radiation environments where depolarization and materials damage can occur. We present the first results assessing the capabilities of the chemical hyperpolarization (ChHP) method Signal Amplification By Reversible Exchange (SABRE) to act as the polarization method to produce targets or active detector media. We show by using in-beam measurements that there is no depolarizing effect observed with the SABRE-polarized material in the A2 photon beam at the Mainzer Mikrotron (MAMI), as well as showing the resilience of such media to radioactive doses of up to \SI{3}{\kilo\gray}. We also illustrate the capabilities for using SABRE-polarized material as a scintillation or Cherenkov detector.