A measure of the net magnetic properties of an object or particle. A nucleus with an intrinsic spin will have an associated magnetic dipole moment, so that it will interact with a magnetic field (as if it were a tiny bar magnet).

See Macroscopic Magnetization Vector.

Magnetic forces are fundamental forces that arise due to the movement of electrical charge. Maxwell's equations describe the origin and behavior of the fields that govern these forces. Thus, magnetism is seen whenever electrically charged particles are in motion. This can arise either from movement of electrons in an electric current, resulting in 'electromagnetism', or from the quantum-mechanical orbital motion (there is no orbital motion of electrons around the nucleus like planets around the sun, but there is an 'effective electron velocity') and spin of electrons, resulting in what are known as 'permanent magnets'.
The physical cause of the magnetism of objects, as distinct from electrical currents, is the atomic magnetic dipole. Magnetic dipoles, or magnetic moments, result on the atomic scale from the two kinds of movement of electrons. The first is the orbital motion of the electron around the nucleus this motion can be considered as a current loop, resulting in an orbital dipole magnetic moment along the axis of the nucleus. The second, much stronger, source of electronic magnetic moment is due to a quantum mechanical property called the spin dipole magnetic moment.
Gauss (G) and tesla (T) are units to define the intensity of magnetic fields. One tesla is equivalent to 10 000 gauss.
Typically, the field strength of MRI scanners is between 0.15 T and 3 T.

See also Diamagnetism, Paramagnetism, Superparamagnetism, and Ferromagnetism.

Atomic nuclei that contain the same number of protons, but differ in the number of neutrons in the nucleus of the atom for the element concerned. For example, 1H, 2H, and 3H are the three isotopes of hydrogen, otherwise known as proton, deuterium, and tritium. Various isotopes have different nuclear magnetic moments and different resonant frequencies. Many isotopes have no magnetic moment and are therefore not observable by MR.

See also Isomer.

Net magnetic moment per unit volume (a vector quantity) of a sample in a given region, considered as the integrated effect of all the individual microscopic nuclear magnetic moments.