Modified multipulse technique for the effective detection of pure nuclear quadrupole resonance

Modification of the steady-state free precession (SSFP) multipulse technique for the effective detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals was studied. This modification is based on the use of the preparatory pulse in the SSFP pulse sequences. It was shown that under certain conditions the total intensity of accumulated NQR signal can be increased. Experimental results of applying the proposed technique to nitrogen-14 NQR in the sample of sodium nitrite (NaNO₂) are presented and convincingly demonstrate the technique’s effectiveness.     

相位可控的核四极矩共振激励脉冲发生器设计

在核四极矩共振（NQR）领域,射频激励脉冲信号的优劣对NQR响应信号有重要影响.针对常规方法中射频激励脉冲参数不可控的问题,本文基于32位闪存微型控制器STM32和直接数字频率合成（DDS）芯片AD9910设计了一种相位可控激励脉冲发生器.采用STM32控制AD9910产生波形参数（脉冲宽度、脉冲间隔、脉冲个数和共振频率等）可控的射频激励脉冲,利用LabVIEW软件平台设计脉冲参数设置界面,并建立计算机与微控制器通信,实现波形参数的精确优化控制.实验结果表明,该方法实现了相位可控的NQR激励脉冲序列,可为后续NQR信号检测提供有效激励源.     

利用核四极矩共振技术探测炸药

介绍了用核四极矩共振的原理进行爆炸危险物品检测的方法及实验测试系统. 该系统运用特殊的激励信号来激发被检测样品中所含的特殊元素¹⁴N（炸药的主要成分）,使其产生核四极矩共振,并产生辐射,从而达到检测的目的. 由于该辐射信号的能量非常小(10 nV量级）,在通常的环境中很难检测该信号, 这就对此弱信号的检测和提取提出了很高的要求. 本测试系统使用了一系列有效的组合激励信号及弱信号采集、处理技术,在通常环境中成功地检测到了RDX（黑索金）信号.     

Modified steady-state free precession pulse sequences for the detection of pure nuclear quadrupole resonance

Modifications of the steady-state free precession multi-pulse technique for the effective detection of the nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals are proposed. These modifications are based on the use of composite pulses and enable the suppression of the coherent noise signals such as the magneto-acoustic and piezo-electric signals or the ringing signal from the NQR probe. Experimental results of applying the proposed technique to nitrogen-14 NQR in the sample of C6H12N4 are also presented and convincingly demonstrate its effectiveness.     

Three-Frequency Composite Multipulse Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance Technique for Explosive Detection

New method of multifrequency nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) for the explosive detection has been proposed. This technique consists of application of the series of composite excitation circles, each consisting of two or three successive pulses of different frequencies. In this work, we study in detail the multipulse sequence consisting of n excitation sets, each set consists of three pulses. The first pulse is applied with frequency ?? _?, the second pulse with frequency ?? ₀, and the third pulse with frequency ?? _?C, but with a shifted phase. The NQR signal is detected at the frequency ?? ₊. The maximal amplitude of the detected signal is obtained by tuning the pulse parameters at frequencies ?? _? and ?? ₀. We have shown that the phase of the NQR signal at the frequency ?? ₊ second part of the composite pulse with the frequency ?? ₀ the signals with different phases to suppress the spurious signals. The method could be used for increasing the NQR signal, avoiding the spurious signals and improving the reliability of NQR detection. Possible applications of the method for the explosive detection are also discussed.     

在反转恢复测试中磁化矢量的演化特征:辐射阻尼效应

在强辐射阻尼存在下,水样(90% H₂O in D₂O)的反转恢复实验表明:当两脉冲的相位相差180°且反转脉冲角<180°时,或两脉冲相位一致但反转脉冲角>180°时,在检测期观测到的信号强度将不发生从负极大值到正极大值的突变;在同样的条件下,如果存在频率偏置,信号强度存在波动,即beating效应.只有当两脉冲的相位一致而反转脉冲角<180°时,或两脉冲的相位相差180°但反转脉冲角>180°时,在检测期信号强度才发生突变,即jumping效应.这些现象都可通过辐射阻尼理论予以合理地解释.另外,在检测期当磁化矢量运动到-z轴附近(对应于τ=T_rdln{tan[(π±δ)/2]}),信号强度与理论预计的偏差实际上与T₁弛豫效应有关.     

Detection of homonuclear decoupled in vivo proton NMR spectra using constant time chemical shift encoding: CT-PRESS

A new pulse sequence, termed CT-PRESS, is presented, which allows the detection of in vivo ¹H NMR spectra with effective homonuclear decoupling. A PRESS sequence with a short echo-time TE, used for spatial localization, is supplemented by an additional 180° pulse. The temporal position of this 180° pulse is shifted within a series of experiments, while the time interval between signal excitation and detection is kept constant. CT-PRESS is a two-dimensional (2D) spectroscopic experiment as far as data acquisition and processing are concerned, although only diagonal signals are generated in the 2D spectrum. However, since the principle of constant time chemical shift encoding is used in the t₁ domain, effective homonuclear decoupling is obtained by projecting the 2D spectrum onto the corresponding f₁ axis. Thus, good spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio are obtained. The main advantage, as compared to localized 2D J-resolved MRS, is that optimized experiments can be performed for coupled resonances of interest by choosing the sequence parameters dependent on the type of multiplets, the J-coupling constants and T₂. Major fields of application will be parametric studies on coupled resonances, (e.g., T₁, diffusion behavior or magnetization transfer) and/or the detection of spatial and temporal changes of metabolites with coupled spin systes.     

“FLIPSY”—A New Solvent-Suppression Sequence for Nonexchanging Solutes Offering Improved Integral Accuracy Relative to 1D NOESY

A new method of solvent suppression is described, based on presaturation in combination with volume selection; the name “FLIPSY” is proposed for this sequence. A low-flip-angle pulse is used for excitation, immediately followed by two 180° pulses, each of which is independently phase cycled through Exorcycle. The phase-cycled inversion pulses achieve volume selection in a way similar to the widely used 1D NOESY sequence, thereby largely eliminating any residual “hump” signal from the solvent. The two 180° pulses combine to produce a net 360° rotation forzmagnetization and either a 180° or a 360° rotation for transverse magnetization, depending on the step in the phase cycle. This allows the overall flip angle of the sequence to be controlled by adjusting the length of the initial excitation pulse. It is demonstrated that this property allows one to choose freely a suitable compromise between signal strength and integral accuracy when using FLIPSY, just as when using single-pulse excitation. Such a choice cannot be made when using 1D NOESY, since the effective flip angle in that experiment is always 90°. The application of FLIPSY to recording LC-NMR spectra is demonstrated.     

Composite pulse trains for nuclear quadrupole resonance

In the present work, a multipulse train comprising {±^0°|2^90°-τ-±^180°|2^90°} and {±^0°|2^90°-τ-±^0°|2^270°} composite pulses is suggested for the observation of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals from remote objects. It is shown that these pulse trains provide efficient separation of interference signals in the multipulse train, which allows conditions of NQR signal storage for detecting explosives to be improved. Kaliningrad State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 54–57, September, 1999.     

Feedback optimization of pulse width in the SORC sequence.

A method for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements by automatically adjusting a pulse parameter in real-time is presented. This approach is useful in situations where the optimal pulse parameters cannot be chosen beforehand due to lack of knowledge regarding the system. For example, NQR provides a means for detecting explosives by revealing the presence of (14)N. In this particular application, the distance between the search coil and the explosive, as well as the temperature of the explosive, is unknown. As a result, a fixed set of pulse parameters will not yield the largest SNR for all possible search applications. This paper describes a feedback algorithm that uses measurements of the NQR signal to automatically adjust the pulse width in the strong off-resonant comb sequence to maximize the SNR of the NQR measurement. Experimental results obtained using a sample of sodium nitrite are presented.     

Pulsed 14N NQR Device Designed to Detect Substances in the Presence of Environmental Noise

A new device designed for both volumetric and surface NQR detection of substances spatially located in several positions, and in the presence of environmental interference, is described. The device consists of two probe coils, placed on the same detection plane, for excitation and detection of NQR signals. Experimental results obtained using Strong Off Resonance Comb (SORC) pulse sequences, for the excitation of the ν- transition in samples of Sodium Nitrite (NaNO ₂), are presented. It is shown that, when the total signals induced in each coil are properly combined, the interference commonly detected in both coils is attenuated relative to the NQR signal detected by either one or both probe coils. NQR signal can be detected by either one or both coils, but in both cases the noise induced by distant environmental sources is attenuated. These files correspond to the revised version of the paper N° O-G-6, entitled “Pulsed ¹⁴N NQR device designed to detect substances in the presence of environmental noise” presented at the XVII International symposium on Nuclear Quadrupole Interactions, held in Bonn, Germany in 2004. Argentinian and International patents pending.     

The transient processes in multi-pulse nitrogen-14 NQR

It has been demonstrated that transient processes, observed in a single crystal of NaNO₂ acted upon by pulse sequences MW-2 and MW-4 and their modifications with 180° flip angle of the pulses (Solid State Nucl. Magn. Resonance 10 (1997) 63; Sov. Phys.—JETP 88(5) (1999) 1580), which manifest themselves in the oscillating form of the NQR signals envelope, can be explained in the frames of a two-particle model. It has been proved that the nature of echo signals in the effective field of multi-pulse sequences received by the inversion of the phase of the sequence pulses or by introducing an additional 180° pulse is connected with re-focusing of accumulated digressions of the flip angle from the ideal 180° pulse. Experimental results of observing single and multiple echoes in a number of powdered nitrogenated substances in the effective field of various sequences at room temperature have been presented.     

Modification of SSFP technique for the effective detection of NQR signals

Modification of the steady-state free precession (SSFP) multi-pulse technique for the effective detection of the NQR signals in the presence of a strong coherent noise is proposed. This modification based on the use of additional blocks of the pulses and phase cycling technique enables the suppression of the coherent noise signals such as the magneto-acoustic and piezoelectric signals or the ringing signals from the NQR probe. Experimental results of applying the proposed technique to nitrogen-14 NQR in the sample of RDX (C₃H₆N₆O₆) are presented and convincingly demonstrate its effectiveness.     

一种自适应层进式Savitzky‐Golay光谱滤波算法及其应用

可调谐半导体激光吸收光谱技术（TDLAS）利用半导体激光器的可调谐和窄线宽特性,通过选择特定气体的单条吸收线,排除其余气体的干扰,可以实现高精度、高选择性的气体浓度测量,在气体浓度检测系统中具有广泛的应用前景。在不同的应用条件和环境下,需要解决相应的硬件和数据处理方面的技术问题。主要研究TDLAS技术机动车尾气CO组分浓度遥测系统中的光谱数据处理问题,该系统利用路面漫反射回波信号遥测行驶中的机动车尾气CO组分浓度。由于激光扫描光谱回波信号受到漫反射面情况变化、空气环境变化、尾气湍流影响等因素影响,探测器收集到的信号不仅较弱同时也夹杂着多种噪声, 即测量光路信噪比较差, 故提出一种自适应层进式Savitzky-Golay(S-G)平滑滤波算法,实现了对光谱进行滤波处理从而更加准确地反演CO浓度。S-G滤波算法因其原理简单、功能强大、只需设置两个参数（窗口大小、拟合阶数）等优点,已广泛应用于光谱处理。如何正确设置S-G算法参数使滤波效果在去噪不足和过度滤波之间找到平衡点,是该滤波算法应用的一大难题。设计的检测系统中,测量光路光谱信号为非平稳信号,噪声和有效信号幅度时变,最佳窗口大小和多项式阶数随信号动态而变化,且变化区间较大,使用固定参数的S-G滤波器难以达到最佳效果。提出的自适应层进式S-G平滑滤波算法,通过逐层将测量光路光谱信号经过S-G滤波后,与参考光路的光谱信号设置的参考段比对信号相关系数和信号一阶导相关系数的和,以自适应得到逐层最优参数。通过对信噪比从9.81～29.77的10组不同带噪光谱分析验证了该算法的有效性,自适应层进式S-G算法能较好地去除噪声并还原带噪信号所携带的待测气体浓度信息,与带噪光谱对比,吸收光谱峰值最大误差由25.152%降至5.917%,积分吸光度最大误差由18.1%降至3.9%。在实现的系统中,使用自适应层进式S-G算法对测量光路进行滤波处理,并对不同车型、不同排量、燃烧不同油品的机动车在怠速和缓速通过(5 km·h-1)系统时其排放的CO浓度进行实时在线监测。     

Adaptive noise cancelling and condition monitoring

When mechanical signature analysis methods are applied to the detection of faults within a complex machine, one is often confronted with a situation in which the diagnostic signal is embedded in a background noise. Coherent filtering techniques are of help in improving the signal to noise ratio (SNR) only when a synchronizing signal is available; on the other hand, the adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) technique can be successfully applied to increase the signal to noise ratio even in those situations where a synchronization signal is not available. Adaptive noise cancelling is a form of optimal filtering in which use is made of an auxiliary or a reference signal. In the work reported here it has been shown that the statistical and spectral analyses techniques which fail to detect and diagnose faults because of a poor signal to noise ratio can be made effective by using an adaptive noise cancelling technique. The expression for the signal to noise density ratio at the output of the noise canceller is derived for a simplified model of a machine.     

Large angle spin-echo imaging

A study was undertaken to assess the use of excitation flip angles greater than 90° for T₁ weighted spin-echo (SE) imaging with a single 180° refocusing pulse and short TR values. Theoretical predictions of signal intensity for SE images with excitation pulse angles of 90–180° were calculated based on the Bloch equations and then measured experimentally from MR images of MnCl₂ phantoms of various concentrations. Liver signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) and liver-spleen contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were measured from breathhold MR images of the upper abdomen in 16 patients using 90 and 110° excitation flip angles. The theoretical predictions showed significant improvements in SNR with excitation flip angles >90°, which were more pronounced at small TR values. The phantom studies showed reasonably good agreement with the theoretical predictions in correlating the excitation pulse angle with signal intensity. In the human imaging studies, the 110° excitation pulse angle resulted in a 7.4% (p < .01) increase in liver SNR and an 8.2% (p = .2) increase in liver-spleen CNR compared to the 90° pulse angle at TR = 275 ms. Increased signal intensity resulting from the use of large flip angle excitation pulses with a single echo SE pulse sequence was predicted and confirmed experimentally in phantoms and humans.     

Nuclear quadrupole resonance echoes from hexamethylenetetramine

We investigated the echo phenomenon of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) from hexamethylenetetramine (HMT). We detected the pure NQR echo signal of HMT with a short pulse interval. The intensity of the echo signal increased as the pulse interval time was decreased. We observed that a clean echo signal was generated even when the pulse interval was shorter than the decay time constant T₂^*. Since the short interval time gives a strong echo, our result insists that shorter interval time is preferred for the NQR detection.     

Detection of ammonium nitrate inside vehicles by nuclear quadrupole resonance

The development of a system for the detection of ammonium nitrate (AN) in vehicles by nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) is described. The results from studies of the penetration of radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields inside certain metal enclosures, including full-scale vehicles, were critical in the design of a novel high-Q resonant probe. The probe was shaped not only for optimal penetration of RF magnetic fields into vehicles, but also for optimal rejection of RF interference and ease of shielding. A full-scale technical demonstrator was designed, built and successfully demonstrated, using novel pulse sequences to generate and detect NQR signals from AN concealed within the boot (trunk) of a car and in the loading bay of a (metal-sided) van. Among the key technical advances that made possible the effective operation of this system was the development of pulse sequences that generate detectable NQR responses for RF magnetic fields that are both very weak and very inhomogeneous.     

Application of the Wavelet Transform for Detecting Signals of Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance

In the present study, the wavelet transform is used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals in the direct pulse method. The efficiency of the wavelet and Fourier transforms used for detecting the NQR signal component is compared. The signal consists of noise, magnetoacoustic and piezoelectric signals, noise from external sources, and NQR signal. Signals from ¹⁴ N nuclei in hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine C₃H₆N₆O₆ (RDX) are investigated at a temperature of 298 K.__________Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 47–50, January, 2005.     

Study of 14N NQR response to SORC pulse sequence

The behavior of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals between RF pulses of the strong off-resonance comb (SORC) as well as the spin-locking spin-echo (SLSE) pulse sequences was studied as for ¹⁴N NQR line ν _?+? of dimethylnitramine (CH₃)₂NNO₂ at 77 K. The periodic variation of the signal amplitude observed by using SORC pulse sequence could be reasonably explained by the theoretical expression reported in the literature.