In a stronger magnetic field, what happens to the number of protons aligning anti-parallel?

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In a stronger magnetic field, there is an increase in the energy difference between protons that align parallel to the magnetic field and those that align anti-parallel to it. The protons that are aligned parallel (which corresponds to the lower energy state) become more favorable, resulting in fewer protons aligning anti-parallel (the higher energy state).

As a result, the population of protons aligning anti-parallel decreases as the magnetic field strength increases because it takes more energy for them to maintain that orientation. This is a key principle in MRI, as it directly affects the signal detected during imaging; the greater the difference in population between the high-energy and low-energy states, the stronger the MRI signal. This phenomenon is fundamental to understanding how MRI systems function and is critical for interpreting results in the context of magnetic fields.

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