Density matrix simulations of the effects of J coupling in spin echo and fast spin echo imaging

A computer simulation has been used to calculate the effects of J coupling on the amplitudes of echoes produced by CPMG sequences. The program computes the evolution of the density matrix for different pulse intervals and can predict the signals obtainable from spin systems of any size and complexity. Results from the simulation confirm the prediction that a decrease in the effects of J coupling is largely responsible for the bright fat signal seen in fast spin echo imaging at high pulse rates. The effects of J coupling on CPMG echotrains are examined for A3B2 and A3B2C2 spin systems over a wide range of J coupling and chemical shift values and pulse spacings. The effects of J coupling on the point spread function obtained with fast spin echo imaging are also discussed.