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Description
β-NMR is a unique technique to measure various nuclear properties with a sensitivity that is up to ten orders of magnitude greater than conventional NMR. The two main factors contributing to this enhancement are optical pumping that generates a large degree of nuclear polarisation, and efficient detection of the asymmetrically emitted β-particles from the hyperpolarised decaying isotope. While it has historically been well established in solid state physics, the focus is now shifting towards studies in liquids, from chemical reactions up to the dynamics of macromolecules.
To enable such studies, the VITO beamline has undergone several major upgrades and extensions, such as, the installation of a superconducting solenoidal magnet with sub-ppm homogeneity and a new detector array.
The new data acquisition system based on fast analogue-to-digital converters with integrated FPGA is a key part of the improvements. It allows for a real time characterisation of each β-particle on every detector channel. The corresponding properties of all β-events are saved, including, for instance, time of arrival, amplitude and time over threshold. Thus, the system enables an unprecedented acquisition of temporally resolved data during all measurements. This leap forward opens versatile possibilities for post processing and analysis to aid studies with biological samples.
