Bloch Equations & Relaxation

UCLA
Radiology
MRI Systems II – B1
I1
⊗

⊗
⊗
I2 ~ 1 (t)
B I6
~
M

⊗
⊗

I3 I5

⊗
I
4
Lecture #3 Learning Objectives
• Distinguish spin, precession, and nutation.
• Appreciate that any B-field acts on the the
spin system.
• Understand the advantage of a circularly
polarized RF B-field.
• Differentiate the lab and rotating frames.
• Define the equation of motion in the lab and
rotating frames.
• Know how to compute the flip angle from the
B1-envelope function.
• Understand how to apply the RF hard pulse
matrix operator.
UCLA
Radiology
Mathematics of Hard RF Pulses
Parameters & Rules for RF Pulses
• RF pulses have a “flip angle” (α)
- RF fields induce left-hand rotations
‣ All B-fields do this for positive γ
• RF pulses have a “phase” (θ)
- Phase of 0° is about the x-axis
- Phase of 90° is about the y-axis

RF⇥
Z
B
↵ M
~

✓ Y
!
~ X
UCLA
Radiology
RF Flip Angle
 Flip Angle
• “Amount of rotation of the bulk magnetization
vector produced by an RF pulse, with respect to
the direction of the static magnetic field.”
– Liang & Lauterbur, p. 374
Z

↵ M
~

✓ Y
X

! 1 = B1 B-fields induce precession!

UCLA
Radiology
 Rules for RF Pulses
↵
RF✓ Flip Angle

Phase

Z X Y Z

X Y X Y
90 90
RF0 RF90
B-fields induce left-handed nutation! UCLA
Radiology
 How to determine α?
RF⇥
B1,max

Z ⌧p
↵= B1e (t) dt
0

Rules: 1) Specify α
2) Use B1,max if we can
3) Shortest duration pulse
UCLA
Radiology
 How to determine α?
RF⇥
B1,max

Z ⌧p
↵= B1e (t) dt
0
⇤/2
⌅= = = 0.098ms
⇥B1,max 2⇤ · 42.57Hz/µT · 60µT
UCLA
Radiology
RF Phase
Bulk Magnetization in the Lab Frame
Z

↵ M
~

✓ Y
X

How do we mathematically account for α and θ?

UCLA
Radiology
 Change of Basis (θ)
Z

↵ M
~

X’ Y
✓
X
Y’

2 3
cos ✓ sin ✓ 0
RZ (✓) = 4 sin ✓ cos ✓ 0 5
0 0 1
Rotate into a coordinate system where M falls along the y’-axis. UCLA
Radiology
 Rotation by Alpha
Z

↵ M
~

X’ Y
✓
X
Y’

2 3
1 0 0
RX ’ (↵) = 4 0 cos ↵ sin ↵ 5
0 sin ↵ cos ↵
Rotate M by α about x’-axis. UCLA
Radiology
 Change of Basis (-θ)
Z

↵ M
~

X’ Y
✓
X
Y’

2 3
cos ( ✓) sin ( ✓) 0
RZ ( ✓) = 4 sin ( ✓) cos ( ✓) 0 5
0 0 1
Rotate back to the lab frame’s x-axis and y-axis. UCLA
Radiology
 RF Pulse Operator
Z

↵ M
~

X’ Y
✓
X
Y’

R⇥ = RZ ( ✓) RX (↵) RZ (✓)
2 2 3
c ✓ + s2 ✓c↵ c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s✓s↵
= 4 c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s2 ✓ + c2 ✓c↵ c✓s↵ 5
s✓s↵ c✓s↵ c↵
This is the composite matrix operator for a hard RF pulse. UCLA
Radiology
Types of RF Pulses
Types of RF Pulses

• Excitation Pulses
• Inversion Pulses
• Refocusing Pulses
• Saturation Pulses
• Spectrally Selective Pulses
• Spectral-spatial Pulses
• Adiabatic Pulses

UCLA
Radiology
 Excitation Pulses
• Tip Mz into the transverse plane
• Typically 200µs to 5ms
• Non-uniform across slice thickness
– Imperfect slice profile
• Non-uniform within slice
– Termed B1 inhomogeneity
– Non-uniform signal intensity across FOV

90° Excitation Pulse Small Flip Angle Pulse

UCLA
Radiology
 Inversion Pulses
• Typically, 180° RF Pulse
– non-180° that still results in -MZ
• Invert MZ to -MZ
– Ideally produces no MXY
• Hard Pulse
– Constant RF amplitude
– Typically non-selective
• Soft (Amplitude Modulated) Pulse
– Frequency/spatially/spectrally selective
• Typically followed by a crusher gradient

180° Inversion Pulse

UCLA
Radiology
 Refocusing Pulses
• Typically, 180° RF Pulse
– Provides optimally refocused MXY
– Largest spin echo signal
• Refocus spin dephasing due to
– imaging gradients
– local magnetic field inhomogeneity
– magnetic susceptibility variation
– chemical shift
• Typically followed by a crusher gradient

180° Refocusing Pulse

UCLA
Radiology
Lecture #3 Summary - RF Pulses
h i
~ 1 (t) = cos(!RF t)î
B sin(!RF t)ĵ Circularly Polarized RF Fields

R⇥ = RZ ( ✓) RX (↵) RZ (✓)
2 2 3
c ✓ + s2 ✓c↵ c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s✓s↵
= 4 c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s2 ✓ + c2 ✓c↵ c✓s↵ 5 RF Pulse Operator
s✓s↵ c✓s↵ c↵

Z ⌧p ↵ M
~
↵= B1e (t) dt Choosing the flip angle.

0
✓ Y
X

UCLA
Radiology
Lecture #3 Summary - Rotating Frame
⇣ ⌘
~ rot
dM ~ rot ⇥ !
~ rot ~ rot
dt =M +B
Equation of Motion for the Bulk Magnetization in the Rotating Frame Without Relaxation

!
~ rot “Fictitious field” that demodulates
~ ef f ⌘
B !
~ rot ~ rot
+B description of the bulk magnetization.

Definition of the “effective” B-field.

~ rot The applied B-field in
B the Rotating Frame.

~ rot
dM ~ rot ⇥ B
~ ef f
dt =M
Equation of Motion for the Bulk Magnetization in the Rotating Frame Without Relaxation

UCLA
Radiology
Free Precession in the Rotating
Frame without Relaxation
~ ef f
B = !
~ rot ~ rot
+B ~ rot
dM
= B0 k̂ 0
+ B0 k̂ 0 ~ rot ⇥ B
=M ~ ef f
dt
=0

dMx0
dt =0
~ rot
dM î0 ĵ 0 k̂ 0
dMy0
dt =0 = Mx 0 My 0 Mz 0
dt
0 0 0
dMz0
dt =0

UCLA
Radiology
Forced Precession in the Rotating
Frame without Relaxation
~ rot
dM ~ rot ⇥ B ~ ef f
dt =M
=M~ rot ⇥ B e (t)î0
1
î0 ĵ 0 k̂ 0
= M~ x0 M ~ y0 M
~ z0
B1e (t) 0 0

dMx0
dt =0

dMy0
dt = B1e (t)Mz0

dMz0
dt = B1e (t)My0
UCLA
Radiology
To The Board…
Bloch Equations & Relaxation

UCLA
Radiology
 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics
“for their development of new methods for
nuclear magnetic precision measurements
and discoveries in connection therewith“

Felix Bloch Edward Purcell

b. 23 Oct 1905 b. 30 Sep 1912
d. 10 Sep 1983 d. 07 Mar 1997

UCLA
Radiology
Bloch Equations with Relaxation
dM~ Mx î + My ĵ (Mz M0 ) k̂
~ ⇥ B
=M ~ ~
+ Dr2 M
dt T2 T1

• Differential Equation
– Ordinary, Coupled, Non-linear
• No analytic solution, in general.
– Analytic solutions for simple cases.
– Numerical solutions for all cases.
• Phenomenological
– Exponential behavior is an approximation.

UCLA
Radiology
Bloch Equations - Lab Frame
dM~ Mx î + My ĵ (Mz M0 ) k̂
~ ⇥ B
=M ~ ~
+ Dr2 M
dt T2 T1

{
{
{
{
Precession

• Precession
Transverse
Relaxation
Longitudinal
Relaxation
Diffusion

– Magnitude of M unchanged
– Phase (rotation) of M changes due to B
• Relaxation
– T1 changes are slow O(100ms)
– T2 changes are fast O(10ms)
– Magnitude of M can be ZERO
• Diffusion
– Spins are thermodynamically driven to
exchange positions.
– Bloch-Torrey Equations
UCLA
Radiology
 Excitation and Relaxation

X
The magnetization relaxes after excitation (forced precession). UCLA
Radiology
Bloch Equations – Rotating Frame

⇤ rot
⇥M Mx0⇤i0 + My0⇤j 0 (Mz0 M0 )⇤k 0
= M⇤rot ⇥ B
⇤ ef f
⇥t T2 T1

{
{
{
“Precession” Transverse Longitudinal
Relaxation Relaxation

~ ef f ⌘
B !
~ rot ~ rot
+B

Effective B-field that Applied B-field in the

M experiences in the
rotating frame.
rotating frame.
Fictitious field that
demodulates the
apparent effect of B0
UCLA
Radiology
T1 Relaxation
 T1 and T2 Values

Tissue T1 [ms] T2 [ms]

gray matter 925 100
white matter 790 92
muscle 875 47 TI=25ms TI=200ms
TE=12ms TE=12ms
fat 260 85
kidney 650 58
liver 500 43
CSF 2400 180

TI=500ms TI=1000ms
TE=12ms TE=12ms

Each tissue as “unique” relaxation properties. UCLA

Radiology
 T1 Relaxation

• Longitudinal or spin-lattice relaxation

• Typically 100s to 1000s of ms
• T1 increases with increasing B0
• T1 decreases with contrast agents
• Short T1s are bright on T1-weighted image

UCLA
Radiology
 36
T1 Relaxation
Tissue T1 [ms] T2 [ms]
gray matter 925 100
white matter 790 92

1
Longitudinal Magnetization [a.u.]

0.8

White Matter
0.6 Gray Matter

0.4

0.2

0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Time [ms]
UCLA
Radiology
 T1 Relaxation
Free Precession in the Lab or Rotating Frame with Relaxation
t
⇣ t
⌘
Mz (t) = Mz0 e T1
+ M0 1 e T1

{
{
{
Net Prepared Return to Thermal
Magnetization Magnetization Equilibrium (M0)
Decays (Mz0)

1.00 M0

0.75
Fraction of M0

0.50

0.25

Mz0
0.00
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Time [ms] UCLA
Radiology
T2 Relaxation
 T2 Relaxation

• Transverse or spin-spin relaxation

– Molecular interaction causes spin dephasing
• T2 typically 10s to 100s of ms
• T2 relatively independent of B0
• T2 always < T1
• T2 decreases with contrast agents
• Long T2 is bright on T2 weighted image

UCLA
Radiology
 40
T2 Relaxation
Tissue T1 [ms] T2 [ms]
gray matter 925 100
white matter 790 92

1
Transverse Magnetization [a.u.]

0.8

White Matter
0.6 Gray Matter

0.4

0.2

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Time [ms]
UCLA
Radiology
 T2 Relaxation
100
1.00 Free Precession in the Rotating Frame with Relaxation
0
Mxy (t) = Mxy e t/T2
75
0.75
Percent Signal [a.u.]

Liver – 43ms
Fraction of Mxy

Fat – 85ms
50 CSF – 180ms
0.50

25

0.25
00

0.00
0 200 400 600 800
Decay Time [ms] UCLA
Radiology
Matlab
Bloch Equation Simulations
Rotating Frame Bloch Equations (Free Precession)

dM Mx î + My ĵ (Mz M0 ) k̂
=
dt T2 T1

UCLA
Radiology
 Rotating Frame Bloch Equations (Free Precession)

dM Mx î + My ĵ (Mz M0 ) k̂
=
dt T2 T1

➠
2 dMx 3 2 1 32 3 2 3
dt T2 0 0 Mx 0
4 dMy 5=4 0 1
0 5 4 My 5 + 4 0 5
dt T2
dMz 1 M0
dt
0 0 T1
Mz T1

UCLA
Radiology
 Rotating Frame Bloch Equations
dM Mx î + My ĵ (Mz M0 ) k̂
=
dt T2 T1

➠
2 dMx 3 2 1 32 3 2 3
dt T2 0 0 Mx 0
4 dMy 5=4 0 1
0 5 4 My 5 + 4 0 5
dt T2
dMz 1 M0
dt
0 0 T1
Mz T1
➠
dM⇤
⇤ +⇥
= M
dt
An affine transformation between two vector spaces consists
of a translation followed by a linear transformation.
UCLA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affine_transformation Radiology
Why Homogenous Coordinates?
Homogenous coordinates allow us to transform
an affine (non-linear) equation in 3D to a linear
equation in 4D.

Affine Linear

⇤
dM
dt
⇤ +⇥
= M ↔ dMH
dt
= TH MH

Now we can use the machinery of linear algebra

for writing out the Bloch Equation mechanics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_transformation
UCLA
Radiology
 Homogenous Coordinate Expressions

Cartesian Coordinates Homogeneous

2 Coordinates
3
2 3 Mx
Mx 6 My 7
M = 4 My 5 MH = 64 Mz 5
7
Mz
1
Augment
!
Reduce 2 3
2 3 Txx Txy Txz Txt
Txx Txy Txz 6 Tyx Tyy Tyz Tyt 7
T = 4 Tyx Tyy Tyz 5 TH =6
4 Tzx
7
Tzy Tzz Tzt 5
Tzx Tzy Tzz
0 0 0 1

UCLA
Radiology
 Rotating Frame Bloch Equations (Free Precession)

dM Mx î + My ĵ (Mz M0 ) k̂
=
dt T2 T1

➠
2 dMx 3 2 1 32 3 2 3
dt T2 0 0 0 2 Mx 3 0
6 7 6 Mx
6
dMy
7=6 0 1
T2 0 0 7 6
7 46 My 7
7
6 0 7
5 + 6 M0 7
4
dt
dMz 5 4 1 54 M
Mzy 5 4 5
0 0 T1
dt T1 M1z
1 0 0 0 1 1
➠

dMH
= TH MH
dt
UCLA
Radiology
Advantages/Disadvantages
+ 1:1 Correlation with pulse diagram
+ Simple to implement (Matlab!)
+ Not ad hoc
+ Provides understanding in complex systems

- Masks understanding in simple systems

- Reduction to algebraic expression is cumbersome
- Discrete (not continuous)
- Perfect simulations are very difficult
- Must consider assumptions
- Image Prep vs. Imaging

UCLA
Radiology
B0 Fields
 Bulk Magnetization - Precession

2 3 2 32 3
Mx (t) cos B0 t sin B0 t 0 Mx0
4 My (t) 5 = 4 sin B0 t cos B0 t 0 5 4 My0 5
Mz (t) 0 0 1 Mz0

~ ~
M (t) = Rz ( B0 t)M 0

UCLA
Radiology
 Bulk Magnetization - Precession
2 3
cos Bt sin Bt 0 0
6 sin Bt cos Bt 0 0 7
B0,H =6
4
7
0 0 1 0 5
0 0 0 1

2 3 2 32 3
Mx (0 ) cos Bt sin Bt 0 0 Mx (0+)
6 My (0 ) 7 6 sin Bt cos Bt 0 0 7 6 My (0+) 7
6 7=6 76 7
4 Mz (0 ) 5 4 0 0 1 0 5 4 Mz (0+) 5
1 0 0 0 1 1
Homogeneous coordinate expression for precession.
UCLA
Radiology
RF Pulses
 RF Pulse Operator

✓
R⇥ = RZ ( ✓) RX (↵) RZ (✓)
2 2 3
c ✓ + s2 ✓c↵ c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s✓s↵
= 4 c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s2 ✓ + c2 ✓c↵ c✓s↵ 5
s✓s↵ c✓s↵ c↵

~ (0+ ) = RF↵
M ✓
~
M (0 )
UCLA
Radiology
RF Pulse Homogeneous Operator
2 2 2
3
c ✓ + s ✓c↵ c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s✓s↵ 0
6 c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s2 ✓ + c2 ✓c↵ c✓s↵ 0 7
RF⇥,H =6
4
7
s✓s↵ c✓s↵ c↵ 0 5
0 0 0 1

UCLA
Radiology
RF Pulse Homogeneous Operator
2 2 2
3
c ✓ + s ✓c↵ c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s✓s↵ 0
6 c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s2 ✓ + c2 ✓c↵ c✓s↵ 0 7
RF⇥,H =6
4
7
s✓s↵ c✓s↵ c↵ 0 5
0 0 0 1

~ + = RF⇥,H M
M ~
H H

UCLA
Radiology
 RF Pulse Homogeneous Operator
2 2 2
3
c ✓ + s ✓c↵ c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s✓s↵ 0
6 c✓s✓ c✓s✓c↵ s2 ✓ + c2 ✓c↵ c✓s↵ 0 7
RF⇥,H =6
4
7
s✓s↵ c✓s↵ c↵ 0 5
0 0 0 1

~ + = RF⇥,H M
M ~
H H

2 3 2 32 3
Mx+ 2
c ⇥ + s ⇥c 2
c⇥s⇥ c⇥s⇥c s⇥s 0 Mx
6 My+ 7 6 c⇥s⇥ c⇥s⇥c s2 ⇥ + c2 ⇥c c⇥s 0 7 6 My 7
6 7=6 76 7
4 Mz+ 5 4 s⇥s c⇥s c 0 5 4 Mz 5
1 0 0 0 1 1

UCLA
Radiology
Relaxation
 Relaxation Operator

2 t 3 2 3
2 3 2 3 0
Mx+ e T2
6 7 Mx 6 7
4 My+ 5 =6 e
t
T2 7 4 My 5+6 ✓ 0 ◆ 7
4 5 4 t 5
Mz+ t Mz M0 1 e T1
e T1
2 t 3
e T2 2 3
6 t 7 Mx
6 e T2 76 7
6 ✓ ◆ 7 6 My 7
=6 t t 74 5
6 Mz
4 e T1 M0 1 e T1 7 5
1
1

UCLA
Radiology
 Relaxation Operator
⇥
E2 0 0 0
⇧ 0 E2 0 0 ⌃
E (T1 , T2 , t, M0 ) = ⇧
⇤ 0
⌃
0 E1 M0 (1 E1 ) ⌅
0 0 0 1

E1 = e t/T1
E2 = e t/T2

⌅ ⌅
M = E (T1 , T2 , t, M0 ) M
+

*In general we drop the sub-scripted H UCLA

Radiology
B0, RF Pulse, & Relaxation Operators

~ + ~
M = B0,H M

M = RF⇥ M
+

⌅ ⌅
M = E (T1 , T2 , t, M0 ) M
+

UCLA
Radiology
 Matlab Example - B0
% This function returns the 4x4 homogenous coordinate expression for
% precession for a particular gyromagnetic ratio (gamma), external
% field (B0), and time step (dt).
%
% SYNTAX: dB0=PAM_B0_op(gamma,B0,dt)
%
% INPUTS: gamma - Gyromagnetic ratio [Hz/T]
% B0 - Main magnetic field [T]
% dt - Time step or vector [s]
%
% OUTPUTS: dB0 - Precessional operator [4x4]
%
% DBE@UCLA 01.21.2015

function dB0=PAM_B0_op(gamma,B0,dt)

if nargin==0
gamma=42.57e6; % Gyromagnetic ratio for 1H
B0=1.5; % Typical B0 field strength
dt=ones(1,100)*1e-6; % 100 1µs time steps
end

dB0=zeros(4,4,numel(dt)); % Initialize the array

for n=1:numel(dt)
dw=2*pi*gamma*B0*dt(n); % Incremental precession (rotation angle)
2 3 2 32
% Precessional Operator (left handed)
dB0(:,:,n)=[ cos(dw) sin(dw) 0 0;
Mx (t) cos B0 t sin B0 t 0
-sin(dw) cos(dw)
0 0
0 0;
1 0;
4 My (t) 5 = 4 sin B0 t cos B0 t 0 54
0 0 0 1];
end Mz (t) 0 0 1
return

UCLA
Radiology
Matlab Example - Free Precession
%% Filename: PAM_Lec02_B0_Free_Precession.m
%
% Demonstrate the precession of the bulk magnetization vector.
%
% DBE@UCLA 2015.01.06

%% Define some constants

gamma=42.57e6; % Gyromagnetic ratio for 1H [MHz/T]
B0=1.5; % B0 magnetic field strength [T]
dt=0.01e-8; % Time step [s]
nt=500; % Number of time points to simulate
t=(0:nt-1)*0.01e-8; % Time vector [s]

M0=[sqrt(2)/2 0 sqrt(2)/2 1]'; % Initial condition (I.C.)

M=zeros(4,nt); % Initialize the magnetization array

M(:,1)=M0; % Define the first time point as the I.C.

%% Simulate precession of the bulk magnetization vector

dB0=PAM_B0_op(gamma,B0,dt); % Calculate the homogenous coordinate transform

for n=2:nt
M(:,n)=dB0*M(:,n-1);
end
~ (t) = Rz ( B0 t)M
M ~ 0 0.8

0.6
Bulk Magnetization Components as f(t)

Mx
My
Mz

0.4

0.2

Magnetization [AU]
%% Plot the results
figure; hold on; 0
p(1)=plot(t,M(1,:)); % Plot the Mx component
p(2)=plot(t,M(2,:)); % Plot the My component -0.2

p(3)=plot(t,M(3,:)); % Plot the Mz component

set(p,'LineWidth',3); % Increase plot thickness -0.4

ylabel('Magnetization [AU]');
-0.6
xlabel('Time [s]');
legend('M_x','M_y','M_z'); -0.8
title('Bulk Magnetization Components as f(t)'); 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time [s]
3 3.5 4 4.5
×10 -8
5

UCLA
Radiology
 Hard RF Pulses
Z
function dB1=PAM_B1_op(gamma,B1,dt,theta)

% Define the incremental flip angle in time dt

alpha=2*pi*gamma*B1*dt;

% Change of basis
R_theta=[ cos(theta) sin(theta) 0 0;
-sin(theta) cos(theta) 0 0;
0 0 1 0; X Y
0 0 0 1];

% Flip angle rotation

R_alpha=[1 0 0 0;
R0
90
0 cos(alpha) sin(alpha) 0;
0 -sin(alpha) cos(alpha) 0;
0 0 0 1];
2 3
% Homogeneous expression for RF MATRIX
dB1=R_theta.'*R_alpha*R_theta; 1 0 0
return R90
0 =4 0 0 1 5
0 1 0

UCLA
Radiology
 Hard RF Pulses
Z
function dB1=PAM_B1_op(gamma,B1,dt,theta)

% Define the incremental flip angle in time dt

alpha=2*pi*gamma*B1*dt;

% Change of basis
R_theta=[ cos(theta) sin(theta) 0 0;
-sin(theta) cos(theta) 0 0;
0 0 1 0; X Y
0 0 0 1];

% Flip angle rotation

R_alpha=[1 0 0 0; R90
90
0 cos(alpha) sin(alpha) 0;
0 -sin(alpha) cos(alpha) 0;
0 0 0 1];
2 3
% Homogeneous expression for RF MATRIX
dB1=R_theta.'*R_alpha*R_theta; 0 0 1
return R90
90 =4 0 1 0 5
1 0 0

UCLA
Radiology
Thanks

Daniel B. Ennis, Ph.D.

ennis@ucla.edu
310.206.0713 (Office)
http://ennis.bol.ucla.edu

Peter V. Ueberroth
Bldg.
Suite 1417, Room C
10945 Le Conte Avenue

UCLA
Radiology