Two-dimensional PFG NMR for encoding correlations of position, velocity, and acceleration in fluid transport

A generalized approach to obtain two-dimensional maps of spatial particle coordinates and their derivatives with respect to time by PFG-NMR employing multiple gradient pulses is presented. A sequence of n magnetic field gradient pulses makes it possible, after independent stepping of each pulse and subsequent Fourier transformation, to plot the spin density distribution in coordinate space at n times and along the respective directions of the gradient pulses. In particular, two gradient pulses of effective area k(1) and k(2) separated by a time interval Delta lead to a plot of the combined two-time probability density, W(2)(r(1), 0; r(2), Delta), to find a particle at a coordinate r(1) at t = 0 and at r(2) at t = Delta. A conventional experiment for measuring transport properties by simultaneous stepping of the gradients under the condition k(1) = -k(2) is equivalent to a projection onto the secondary diagonal in the [r(1), r(2)] plot. The main diagonal represents an average position between the two timepoints t = 0 and t = Delta, so that a rotation of the coordinate plot by an angle of 45 degrees allows one to correlate the displacement R = r(2) - r(1) with the averaged position r parallel to the gradient direction. While an average velocity during the time interval Delta can be defined as &vmacr; = R/Delta, an extension toward acceleration and higher order derivatives is straightforward by modification of the pulse sequence. We discuss this concept by application to flow through a circular and a narrowing pipe (confusor), respectively, the experimental results of which are compared to numerical simulations. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.