Abstract: The production and usage of hyperpolarized .sup.129 Xenon which comprises providing solid xenon with either an internal (dissolved) or external (imbedded) nuclear spin relaxant, loading and positioning the solid xenon in a low temperature refrigerator operating in the range of 5 mK to 30 mK with a surrounding magnetic field of between about 10 and 20 Tesla enabling high xenon spin polarizations between about 10% and 50% to be obtained in a time of about 1-3 days owing to the properties of the relaxant, separating the xenon from the relaxant or otherwise rendering the relaxant inoperable after polarizing and thereby switching off further relaxation and insuring preservation of the polarization of the xenon in solid, liquid or gaseous form for storage or external use for long times, ranging from weeks to the order of minutes, depending on the usage conditions.

Abstract: A multi-chronal fluorescence imaging technique for spatial differentiation and correlation of a plurality of separate sample components tagged with site specific dyes is described. The dyes have decay times that are widely separated and vary by approximately a factor of ten from one dye to the next. These are added to the sample and are excited with a short pulse of ultraviolet light. Between the sample and a detector is placed an adjustable shutter or gate which is opened and closed at predetermined intervals so that the detector can see the approximate maximum intensity output of each dye in a shown ordered sequence without significant interference from the other dyes.

Abstract: Methods for producing large, highly nuclear spin-polarized thermonuclear fuels HD, D.sub.2, HT and DT in a state where they can be stored and manipulated for appreciable times at ordinary liquid helium temperatures, are disclosed. Molecular mixtures, radiation treatments, symmetry species conversion catalysts, molecular species spatial arrangements, radio frequency irradiations and anneal programs are given to provide polarized .uparw.D and polarized .uparw.T in usable forms in the solid, liquid and high density gaseous phases.