Transformation of Symmetrization Order to Nuclear-Spin Magnetization by Chemical Reaction and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

A method of obtaining very large nuclear-spin polarizations is proposed and illustrated by density-operator calculations. The prediction is that chemical reaction and rf irradiation can convert the scalar parahydrogen state into polarization of order unity on the nuclear spins of the products of molecular-hydrogen addition reactions. A means of extending the resultant sensitivity enhancement to other spins is proposed in which the transfer of order occurs through population differences not associated with magnetization.