T2 Relaxation

The transverse relaxation time or spin-spin relaxation time (T2) describes the decay rate of the effective magnetization observed in the x,y plane after a 90° pulse. T2 is shorter than or equal to T1. Differences between T1 and T2 arise because of loss of phase coherence among the individual spins that precess in the x,y plane and constitute the macroscopic, observable magnetization. T2 is correlated with dynamic processes in the molecule under study; in particular it decreases monotonously with increasing molecular size, which presents a limiting factor for high resolution NMR with macromolecules.

From: Wüthrich, K. (1986). NMR of Proteins and Nucleic Acids, John Wiley & Sons, New York.


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