Spin–lattice relaxation

During nuclear magnetic resonance observations, spin–lattice relaxation is the mechanism by which the longitudinal component of the total nuclear magnetic moment vector (parallel to the constant magnetic field) exponentially relaxes from a higher energy, non-equilibrium state to thermodynamic equilibrium with its surroundings (the "lattice"). It is characterized by the spin–lattice relaxation time, a time constant known as T1.

There is a different parameter, T2, the spin–spin relaxation time, which concerns the exponential relaxation of the transverse component of the nuclear magnetization vector (perpendicular to the external magnetic field). Measuring the variation of T1 and T2 in different materials is the basis for some magnetic resonance imaging techniques.[1]

  1. ^ Rinck, Peter A. (2022). Relaxation Times and Basic Pulse Sequences in MR Imaging. in: Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. A Critical Introduction. 12th edition. pp. 65-92. Offprint to download: TRTF - The Round Table Foundation / EMRF - European Magnetic Resonance Forum. ISBN 978-3-7460-9518-9.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.