- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Reviews of Modern Physics

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Quantum states and precession: The two discoveries of NMR

John S. Rigden

John S. Rigden

  • Department of Physics, University of Missouri—St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63121

PDF

Rev. Mod. Phys. 58, 433 – Published 1 April, 1986

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.58.433

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance in bulk matter was discovered independently by Purcell, Torrey, and Pound at Harvard and by Bloch, Hansen, and Packard at Stanford towards the end of 1945. Their experiments were so different that members of neither group were quick to recognize their own experiment in the other. The magnetic resonance phenomenon was conceptualized differently by the two groups, and the design of their experiments differed accordingly. The Purcell group thought of magnetic resonance in terms of transitions between quantum states while the Bloch group visualized magnetic moments being reoriented with respect to a magnetic field. The conceptual approach adopted by each group can be seen as a natural consequence of earlier influences.

View figure in article

References (77)

  1. Abragam, A., 1961, The Principles of Nuclear Magnetism (Oxford, London)
  2. Alvarez, Luis W., and F. Bloch, 1940a, "The Magnetic Moment of the Neutron," Phys. Rev. 57, 352
  3. Alvarez, Luis W., and F. Bloch, 1940b, "A Quantitative Determination of the Neutron Moment in Absolute Nuclear Magnetons," Phys. Rev. 57, 111
  4. Bloch, F., 1936, "On the Magnetic Scattering of Neutrons," Phys. Rev. 50, 259
  5. Bloch, F., 1937, "On the Magnetic Scattering of Neutrons, II," Phys. Rev. 51, 994
  6. Bloch, F., 1946, "Nuclear Induction," Phys. Rev. 70, 460
  7. Bloch, F., 1964, "The Principle of Nuclear Induction," in Nobel Lectures in Physics 1942-1962 (Elsevier, New York), p. 203
  8. Bloch, F., 1968, Interview by Charles Weiner, August 15, 1968, Center for the History and Philosophy of Physics, American Institute of Physics, New York
  9. Bloch, F., 1981, "Nuclear Magnetic Resonance," in Encyclopedia of Physics, edited by Rita G. Lerner and George L. Trigg (Addison-Wesley, Reading), p. 677
  10. Bloch, F., 1982, interview with author 11/9/82, Stanford University, unpublished
  11. Bloch, F., W. W. Hansen, and M. Packard, 1946a. "The Nuclear Induction Experiment," Phys. Rev. 70, 474
  12. Bloch, F., W. W. Hansen, and M. Packard, 1946b, "Nuclear Induction," Phys. Rev. 69, 127
  13. Bloch, F., W. W. Hansen, and M. Packard, 1946c, "Nuclear Induction," Phys. Rev. 69, 680
  14. Bloembergen, N., E. M. Purcell, and R. V. Pound, 1948, "Relaxation Effects in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Absorption," Phys. Rev. 73, 679
  15. Breit, G., and I. I. Rabi, 1931, "Measurement of Nuclear Spin," Phys. Rev. 38, 2082
  16. Casimir, Hendrick B. G., 1983, Haphazard Reality: Half a Century of Science (Harper and Row, New York), p. 175
  17. DuBridge, Lee A., 1977, "I. I. Rabi and the War Years, 1940-1945," in Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Pupin Laboratories (Columbia University, New York), p. 33
  18. Dunning, J. R., P. N. Powers, and H. G. Beyer, 1937, "Experiments on the Magnetic Properties of the Neutron," Phys. Rev. 51, 51
  19. Ehrenfest, P., 1959, "On Adiabatic Changes of a System in Connection with the Quantum Theory," in Collected Scientific Papers, edited by M. J. Klein (North-Holland, Amsterdam), p. 378
  20. Feynman, Richard, 1965, The Character of Physical Law (British Broadcasting Corporation, London), p. 53
  21. Fraser, R., 1931, Molecular Rays (Cambridge University, London)
  22. Fraser, R., 1937, Molecular Beams (Methuen, London)
  23. Frisch, O. R., H. von Halban, and J. Koch, 1937a, "A Method of Measuring the Magnetic Moment of Free Neutrons," Nature (London) 139, 756
  24. Frisch, O. R., H. von Halban, and J. Koch, 1937b, "Sign of the Magnetic Moment of Free Neutrons," Nature (London) 139, 1021
  25. Frisch, O. R., H. von Halban, and J. Koch, 1938a, "The Magnetic Field Acting Upon Neutrons Inside Magnetized Iron," Nature (London) 140, 360
  26. Frisch, O. R., H. von Halban, and J. Koch, 1938b, "Some Experiments on the Magnetic Properties of Free Neutrons," Phys. Rev. 53, 719
  27. Frisch, R., and E. Segrè, 1933, "Über die Einstellung der Richtungsquantelung II," Z. Phys. 80, 610
  28. Galison, Peter, 1982-1983, "The Discovery of the Muon and the Failed Revolution against Quantum Electrodynamics," Centaurus 26, 262
  29. Gorter, C. J. 1936a, "Paramagnetic Relaxation," Physica 3, 503
  30. Gorter, C. J., 1936b, "Negative Result of an Attempt to Detect Nuclear Magnetic Spins," Physica 3, 995
  31. Gorter, C. J., 1967, "Bad Luck in Attempts to Make Great Scientific Discoveries," Phys. Today 20, 76
  32. Gorter, C. J., and L. J. F. Broer, 1942, "Negative Result of an Attempt to Observe Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in Solids," Physica 9, 591
  33. Hahn, E. L., 1950, "Spin Echoes," Phys. Rev. 80, 580
  34. Hebb, M. H., and E. M. Purcell, 1937, "A Theoretical Study of Magnetic Cooling Experiments," J. Chem. Phys. 5, 338
  35. Heitler, W., and Edward Teller, 1936, "Time Effects in the Magnetic Cooling Method," Proc. R. Soc. London Ser. A 155, 629
  36. Hoffman, J. G., M. Stanley Livingston, and H. A. Bethe, 1937, "Some Direct Evidence on the Magnetic Moment of the Neutron," Phys. Rev. 51, 214
  37. Jelinski, Lynn W., 1984, "Modern NMR Spectroscopy," Chem. Eng. News 62, 26
  38. Kellogg, J. M. B., I. I. Rabi, N. F. Ramsey, Jr., and J. R. Zacharias, 1939a, "An Electrical Quadrupole Moment of the Deuteron," Phys. Rev. 55, 318
  39. Kellogg, J. M. B., I. I. Rabi, N. F. Ramsey, Jr., and J. R. Zacharias, 1939b, "The Magnetic Moments of the Proton and Deuteron: The Radiofrequency Spectra of H2 in Various Magnetic Fields," Phys. Rev. 56, 728
  40. Kellogg, J. M. B., I. I. Rabi, N. F. Ramsey, Jr., and J. R. Zacharias, 1940, "An Electrical Quadrupole Moment of the Deuteron: The Radiofrequency Spectra of HD and D2 Molecules in a Magnetic Field," Phys. Rev. 57, 677
  41. Kellogg, J. M. B., I. I. Rabi, and J. R. Zacharias, 1936a, "The Sign of the Magnetic Moment of the Deuteron," Phys. Rev. 49, 641
  42. Kellogg, J. M. B., I. I. Rabi, and J. R. Zacharias, 1936b, "The Gyromagnetic Properties of the Hydrogens," Phys. Rev. 50, 472
  43. Kuhn, Thomas S., 1984, "Revisiting Planck," Hist. Stud. Phys. Sci. 14, 231
  44. Kusch, P., S. Millman, and I. I. Rabi, 1940, "The Radiofrequency Spectra of Atoms: Hyperfine Structure and Zeeman Effects in the Ground States of Li6, K39, and K41," Phys. Rev. 57, 765
  45. Phipps, T. E., and O. Stern, 1931, "Über die Einstellung der Richtungsquantelung," Z. Phys. 73, 185
  46. Polanyi, Michael, 1962, Personal Knowledge (University of Chicago, Chicago)
  47. Powers, Philip N., 1938, "The Magnetic Scattering of Neutrons," Phys. Rev. 54, 827
  48. Powers, P. N., H. G. Beyer, and J. R. Dunning, 1937, "Experiments on the Magnetic Moment of the Neutron," Phys. Rev. 51, 371
  49. Powers, P. N., H. Carroll, H. Beyer, and J. R. Dunning, 1937, "The Sign of the Magnetic Moment of the Neutron," Phys. Rev. 52, 38
  50. Powers, P. N., H. Carroll, and J. R. Dunning, 1937b, "Experiments on the Magnetic Moment of the Neutron," Phys. Rev. 51, 1112
  51. Purcell, E. M., 1951, "Measurement of Atmospheric Absorption," in Propagation of Short Radio Waves, edited by Donald E. Kerr (McGraw-Hill, New York), p. 644
  52. Purcell, E. M., 1954a, "Nuclear Magnetism in Relation to Problems of the Liquid and Solid States," Science 107, 433
  53. Purcell, E. M., 1954b, "Nuclear Magnetism," Am. J. Phys. 22, 1
  54. Purcell, Edward M., 1964, "Research in Nuclear Magnetism," in Nobel Lectures in Physics 1942-1962 (Elsevier, New York), p. 218
  55. Purcell, E. M. 1977, interview by Katherine R. Sopka, June 8-9, 1977, Center for the History and Philosophy of Physics, American Institute of Physics, New York
  56. Purcell, E. M., 1980, lecture at Wesleyan University, unpublished
  57. Purcell, E. M., H. C. Torrey, and R. V. Pound, 1946, "Resonance Absorption by Nuclear Magnetic Moments in a Solid," Phys. Rev. 69, 37
  58. Rabi, I. I., 1936, "On the Process of Space Quantization," Phys. Rev. 49, 324
  59. Rabi, I. I., 1937, "Space Quantization in a Gyrating Magnetic Field," Phys. Rev. 51, 652
  60. Rabi, I. I., J. M. B. Kellogg, and J. R. Zacharias, 1934a, "The Magnetic Moment of the Proton," Phys. Rev. 46, 157
  61. Rabi, I. I., J. M. B. Kellogg, and J. R. Zacharias, 1934b, "The Magnetic Moment of the Deuteron," Phys. Rev. 46, 163
  62. Rabi, I. I., J. M. B. Kellogg, and J. R. Zacharias, 1936, "The Sign of the Magnetic Moment of the Proton," Phys. Rev. 49, 421
  63. Rabi, I. I., J. R. Zacharias, S. Millman, and P. Kusch, 1938, "A New Method of Measuring Magnetic Moments," Phys. Rev. 53, 318
  64. Rarita, William, and Julian Schwinger, 1941, "On the Neutron-Proton Interaction," Phys. Rev. 59, 436
  65. Rigden, John S., 1983, "Molecular Beam Experiments on the Hydrogens During the 1930's," Hist. Stud. Phys. Sci. 13, 335
  66. Rigden, John S., 1985, "The Birth of the Magnetic Resonance Method," in Observation, Experiment, and Hypothesis in Modern Physical Science, edited by Peter Achinstein and Owen Hannaway (MIT, Cambridge, Mass.), p. 205
  67. Robinson, Arthur L., 1985, "Atomic Physics Tests Lorentz Invariance," Science 229, 745
  68. Schiff, Leonard I., 1968, Quantum Mechanics, 3rd ed. (McGraw-Hill, New York)
  69. Schwinger, J. S., 1937, "On the Magnetic Scattering of Neutrons," Phys. Rev. 51, 544
  70. Slichter, Charles P., 1963, Principles of Magnetic Resonance (Harper and Row, New York)
  71. Street, J. C., and E. C. Stevenson, 1937, "New Evidence for the Existence of a Particle of Mass Intermediate Between the Proton and Electron," Phys. Rev. 52, 1003
  72. Torrey, H. C., E. M. Purcell, and R. V. Pound, 1946, "Theory of Magnetic Resonance Absorption by Nuclear Moments in Solids," Phys. Rev. 69, 680
  73. Van Vleck, J. H., 1937, "The Influence of Dipole-Dipole Coupling on the Specific Heat and Susceptibility of a Paramagnetic Salt," J. Chem. Phys. 5, 320
  74. Van Vleck, J. H., 1947, "The Absorption of Microwaves by Uncondensed Water Vapor," Phys. Rev. 71, 425
  75. Van Vleck, J. H., 1951, "Theory of Absorption by Uncondensed Gases," in Propagation of Short Radio Waves, edited by Donald E. Kerr (McGraw-Hill, New York), p. 646
  76. Van Vleck, J. H., 1970, "A Third of a Century of Paramagnetic Relaxation and Resonance," in Magnetic Resonance: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Electron and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance...Melbourne..., edited by C. K. Coogan, Norman S. Ham, S. N. Stuart, J. R. Pilbrow, and G. V. H. Wilson (Plenum, New York), p. 1
  77. Waller, I., 1932, "Über die Magnetisierung von paramagnetischen Kristallen in Wechselfeldern," Z. Phys. 79, 370

Outline

Information

Rev. Mod. Phys. 58, 433– Published 1 April, 1986

    © 1986 American Physical Society

    Sign In to Your Journals Account

    Filter

    Filter

    Article Lookup

    Enter a citation