Optimizing Nuclear Polarization Using Metastability Exchange Optical Pumping

At Jefferson Lab's Accelerator Facility, spin studies are conducted through scattering experiments which use a polarized electron beam to scatter electrons from polarized nuclei. High luminosity target development is essential to nuclear research, providing precision measurements which increase statistical certainty and decrease experimental run time. The work conducted at the University of Tennessee utilizes Metastability Exchange Optical Pumping (MEOP), a technique that uses circularly polarized light to excite and polarize electrons in a pure Helium 3 cell. Due to strong electron-nucleon coupling of this isotope, Helium 3 electrons effectively induce nuclear polarization by transferring their spin to the nucleus over time. I will present the results of optimization studies of the MEOP technique for spin study experiments at Jefferson Lab, with an emphasis on target development and analysis.