New theory for analysing interacting nuclear spins in solvents
Hardly a spectroscopic method boasts so many different applications as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, better known as "NMR". The approach of NMR spectroscopy is based on monitoring the so-called nuclear spin, namely the angular momentum of atoms, or, more precisely: the magnetic moment associated with them. The atom thus becomes a bar magnet, whose axis is aligned within a magnetic field but is otherwise arbitrarily oriented within its environment. The alignment can be altered by applying electromagnetic radiation in the radio wavelength, typically at several 100 Megahertz. The result is an NMR spectrum that is determined by the atom's environment and provides a detailed insight into the structures and motions of molecules. NMR spectroscopy applications range from identifying molecules in chemical analysis to characterising large molecular clusters. Physicians, too, make use of NMR to look into the body, with CAT scan technology being the result of an NMR experiment.