For constant drive, set the three rotating frame derivatives to zero. Substitution first gives , then , hence
The absorption is proportional to . With , its frequency dependence is a Cauchy distribution profile, often called a Lorentzian. With appreciable , the response broadens and on resonance: nuclear magnetic resonance saturation limits the response. The short-pulse amplitude in the previous example is not a weak continuous drive; these are different operating regimes of the same equations.
Edward Mills Purcell, Henry Cutler Torrey, and Robert Vivian Pound placed paraffin wax in a capacitively loaded coaxial cavity near 30 MHz between magnet poles. Coupling loops supplied and extracted power; oscillating and steady fields were perpendicular. Output balanced against a generator reference fed amplification, detection and a microammeter. A slow field sweep revealed absorption above fluctuations at room temperature. Weak drive avoided population equalization. Calibration was rough; field inhomogeneity could contribute to linewidth.[ref]
Figure 1.
Two electrical routes to bulk nuclear magnetic resonance
. Original functional diagrams of the distinct instruments described above. Arrows show connections and field directions, not scale or winding geometry. Details.
These are driven experiments with continuous radiofrequency excitation and changing static field, not demonstrations of modern pulsed Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance. Bloch's theoretical paper explicitly distinguishes proposed free precession after a pulse from the forced precession actually studied.[ref]
An experimental failure need not mean absent nuclear magnetic moments. In the model below, excessive drive reduces the population imbalance through nuclear magnetic resonance saturation; waiting too briefly can leave insufficient polarization. Separately, ordinary electrical losses can cause heating without identifying a nuclear resonance. The absorption experiment measured a balanced electrical signal, rather than using heating as its readout. Useful diagnostic checks include moving off resonance, changing the frequency, checking field uniformity and reducing drive. These are general checks; the historical operations actually documented are specified above.