Brian Saam Professor Experimental Atomic Physics, Magnetic Resonance

B.S., 1989, University of Michigan Ph.D., 1995, Princeton University (W. Happer)  Research Associate, 1995-96, Princeton University  Research Associate, 1996-98, Washington University (M.S. Conradi)  Research Assistant Professor, 1998-99, Washington University  Assistant Professor, 1999-2003, University of Utah Associate Professor, 2003-2009, University of Utah Full Professor, 2009-present, University of Utah

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Contact Information

Department of Physics  115 South 1400 East, Rm. 201  Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0830 Office: JFB 217

Phone:    (801) 585-5832  Fax:        (801) 581-4801  Email:     saam at physics dot utah dot edu

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Research Interests

My research interests center on both the basic physics and applications of hyperpolarized (HP) gases. The nuclei of non-zero-spin noble gas isotopes (most notably He-3 and Xe-129) can be polarized to 10% or more by collisional spin exchange with a laser-optically pumped and polarized alkali-metal vapor. The nuclear polarization so produced is typically four to five orders of magnitude larger than the thermal-equilibrium value, and the non-equilibrium state can be preserved for many hours. HP gases are at once elegant systems for teaching and exploring basic spin physics and important tools in many subfields of physics, chemistry, even bioengineering and medicine. For more information on our work, please check out the Group Homepage.

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Courses

Physics 3410/11 and 6750/51 Modern Optics I & II (Fall 2008)

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Selected Publications

• S.W. Morgan, B.V. Fine, and B. Saam, "Universal Long-Time Behavior of Nuclear Spin Decays in a Solid," Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 067601 (2008). reprint
• B.N. Berry-Pusey, B.C. Anger, G. Laicher, and B. Saam, "Nuclear spin relaxation of 129Xe due to persistent xenon dimers," Phys. Rev. A 74, 063408 (2006). reprint
• M.S. Conradi, B.T. Saam, D.A.Yablonskiy, and J.C. Woods, "Hyperpolarized ³He and Perfluorocarbon Gas Diffusion MRI of Lungs," Progress in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 48, 63-83 (2006). reprint
• T. Su, G.L. Samuelson, S.W. Morgan, G. Laicher, and B. Saam, "Liquid Hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe Produced by Phase Exchange in a Convection Cell," App. Phys. Lett. 85, 2429-2431 (2004). reprint
• R.E. Jacob, J. Teter, B. Saam, W.C. Chen, and T.R. Gentile, "Low-field Orientation Dependence of ³He Relaxation in Spin-Exchange Cells," Phys. Rev. A 69, 021401(R) (2004). reprint
• R.E. Jacob, B. Driehuys, and B. Saam, "Fundamental mechanisms of ³He relaxation on glass," Chem. Phys. Lett. 370, 261-267 (2003). reprint 
• R.E. Jacob, S.W. Morgan, and B. Saam, "³He spin exchange cells for magnetic resonance imaging," J. Appl. Phys. 92, 1588-1597 (2002). reprint
• H.E. Möller, X.J. Chen, B. Saam, K.D. Hagspiel, G.A. Johnson, T.A. Altes, E.E. de Lange, and H.-U. Kauczor, "Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lungs Using Hyperpolarized Noble Gases," Magn. Reson. Med., 47, 1029-1051 (2002). reprint
• R.E. Jacob, S.W. Morgan, B. Saam, and J.C. Leawoods, "Wall Relaxation of ³He in Spin-Exchange Cells," Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 143004 (2001). reprint
• J.C. Leawoods, D.A. Yablonskiy, B. Saam, D.S. Gierada, and M.S. Conradi, "Hyperpolarized ³He Gas MR Imaging," Concepts Magn. Reson. 13, 277-293 (2001).   reprint
• J.C. Leawoods, B. Saam, and M.S. Conradi, "Polarization transfer using hyperpolarized supercritical xenon," Chem. Phys. Lett. 327, 359-364 (2000).   reprint
• B. Saam, D.A. Yablonskiy, V.D. Kodibagkar, J.C. Leawoods, D.S. Gierada, J.D. Cooper, S.S. Lefrak, and   M.S. Conradi, "MR Imaging of Diffusion of ³He Gas in Healthy and Diseased Lungs," Magn. Reson. Med. 44, 174-179 (2000).   reprint 
• D.S. Gierada, B. Saam, D.A. Yablonskiy, J.D. Cooper, S.S. Lefrak, and M.S. Conradi, "Dynamic Echo Planar MR Imaging of Lung Ventilation with Hyperpolarized ³He in Normal Subjects and Patients with Severe Emphysema," NMR in Biomed. 13, 176-181 (2000).   reprint
• B. Saam, D.A. Yablonskiy, D.S. Gierada, and M.S. Conradi, "Rapid Imaging of Hyperpolarized Gas Using EPI," Magn. Res. Med. 42, 507-514 (1999). reprint
• B. Saam and M.S. Conradi, "Low Frequency NMR Polarimeter for Hyperpolarized Gases," J. Magn. Reson. 134, 67-71 (1998).
• J.P. Mugler, B. Driehuys, J.R. Brookeman, G.D. Cates, S.S. Berr, R.G. Bryant, T.M. Daniel, E.E. de Lange, J.H. Downs, C.J. Erickson, W. Happer, D.P. Hinton, N.F. Kassel, T. Maier, C.D. Phillips, B.T. Saam, K.L. Sauer, and M.E. Wagshul, "MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Using Hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe Gas:  Preliminary Human Results," Magn. Res. Med. 37, 809-815 (1997).
• B. Saam, N. Drukker, W. Happer, "Edge enhancement observed with hyperpolarized ³He," Chem. Phys. Lett. 264, 481-487 (1996).
• J.R. MacFall, H.C. Charles, R.D. Black, H.Middleton, J. Swartz, B. Saam, B. Driehuys, C. Erickson, W.Happer, G.D. Cates, G.A. Johnson, C.E. Ravin, "Human Lung Air Spaces:  Potential for MR Imaging with Hyperpolarized ³He," Radiology 200, 553-558 (1996).
• B. Saam, W. Happer, and H. Middleton, "Nuclear relaxation of ³He in the presence of O₂," Phys. Rev. A 52, 862-865 (1995).
• M.S. Albert, G.D. Cates, B. Driehuys, W. Happer, B. Saam, C.S. Springer Jr, and A. Wishnia, "Biological magnetic resonance imaging using laser-polarized ¹²⁹Xe," Nature 370, 199-201 (1994).
• A.S. Barton, N.R. Newbury, G.D. Cates, B. Driehuys, H. Middleton, and B. Saam, "Self-calibrating measurement of polarization-dependent frequency shifts from Rb-³He collisions," Phys. Rev. A 49, 2766-2770 (1994).
• B. Driehuys, G.D. Cates, W. Happer, H. Mabuchi, B. Saam, M.S. Albert, and A. Wishnia, "Spin transfer between laser-polarized ¹²⁹Xe nuclei and surface protons," Phys. Lett. A 184, 88-92 (1993).
• M.A. Gatzke, G.D. Cates, B. Driehuys, D. Fox, W. Happer, and B. Saam, "Extraordinarily Slow Nuclear Spin Relaxation in Frozen Laser-Polarized ¹²⁹Xe," Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 690 (1993).
• G.D. Cates, R.J. Fitzgerald, A.S. Barton, P. Bogorad, M. Gatzke, N.R. Newbury, and B. Saam, "Rb-¹²⁹Xe spin- exchange rates due to binary and three-body collisions at high Xe pressures," Phys. Rev. A 45, 4631 (1992).