Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance [Paperback]

Malcolm H. Levitt (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471489220 | ISBN-13: 978-0471489221 | Publication Date: August 15, 2001 | Edition: 1

NMR spectroscopy is one of the most important and widely used techniques for the identification of compounds. Based on an established course this core text offers a truly modern and updated approach.

* Provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject

* Includes a multi-disciplinary approach, concentrating on basic principles and concepts

* Contains chapters of worked examples and problems to encourage a fuller understanding of topics

* Offers a pedagogical approach, starting with quarks and nucleons, and moving on to cover NMR imaging, COSY (Correlated Spectroscopy) and NOESY (Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy).

As a core subject in many science disciplines, this text will appeal to a wide range of students, as well as practising scientists and technicians. Assuming only a basic knowledge of complex numbers and matrices, it carefully and lucidly aids readers to fully understand this challenging subject.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Overall for the right, highly targeted readership, this is an excellent textbook" (Times Higher Educational Supplement, 22 February 2002)

"This is an excellent book...that many teachers of NMR spectroscopy will cherish..." (NMR in Biomedicine, June 2002)?

"...Overall this is an excellent book..." (Physical Sciences Educational Reviews, November 2002)

"...Spin Dynamics provides an excellent middle of the range text for physical chemists and biophysicists..." (Contemporary Physics, Vol.44, No.2, 2003)

"I strongly recommend this book to everyone?it is probably the best modern comprehensive description of the subject." (Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, Vol. 42, 2003)

From the Back Cover

Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance is a comprehensive and truly modern introduction, written to appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, and also active researchers in NMR, spectroscopy and quantum physics. The book focuses on those essential principles and concepts needed for a thorough understanding of the subject, rather than its practical aspects. The quantum theory of nuclear magnets is presented within a strong physical framework, supported by a large number of figures, helping to make the text accessible to a wide range of readers.

Spin Dynamics, Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance assumes only a basic knowledge of complex numbers and matrices, and provides the reader with numerous worked examples and problems to encourage student understanding. With the explicit aim of carefully developing the subject from the beginning, the text starts with coverage of quarks and nucleons and carries through to a detailed explanation of several important NMR experiments, including NMR imaging, COSY and NOESY.

Written for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking a first course in NMR spectroscopy and for those needing a up-to-date account of the subject, this multi-disciplinary book will appeal to chemical, physical, material, life, medical, earth and environmental scientists. The detailed physical insights will also make the book of interest for experienced spectroscopists and NMR researchers.

Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance:
* Is an accessible and carefully written introduction, designed to help students fully understand this complex and dynamic subject.

* Takes a multi-disciplinary approach, focusing on basic principles and concepts rather than the more practical aspects.

* Presents a strong pedagogical approach throughout, with emphasis placed on individual spins to aid understanding.

* Includes numerous worked examples, problems, further reading and additional notes and appendices containing more advanced material.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471489220
• ISBN-13: 978-0471489221
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #852,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear first introduction to NMR, July 27, 2002

By 

M S ANWAR (Oxford, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Paperback)

This book could simply be stated as an excellent attempt to introduce the foundations of NMR. It is a very good primer on all theoretical aspects that are essential to an understanding of the subject.
It offers a methodical, step-by-step approach. Useful tools and consistent terminology are the most attracting feature of this volume. It is well-illustrated; and controversial issues are highlighted in the "Notes" sections at the end of each chapter. It has illustrative problems at the end of each chapter, with solutions provided at the end.
Interestingly, the appendix covers many important aspects that are needed at a more advanced stage. Useful tools for the understanding of NMR are developed at appropriate stages. These include: the box notation for coherences, populations, density matrices and transitions; the origin of NMR spectra from individual coherence terms in the density matrix; origin of 2-D NMR signals as well as many important concepts in Fourier Transform NMR are described. The origins of relaxation enjoy a very readable and simplistic approach in the last chapter.
Whenever simplistic approximations are used, the author never claims of completeness or rigour. Distinction is made between terms that are physically correct and terms that are sometimes misleading, but enjoy widespread use in the NMR spectroscopy convention. The essential tools in quantum mechanics are outlined, product operator descriptions are used frequently and repetitively, that enhances understanding and provides more practice. Pictorial representations have been given where possible, a view-point beginners like myself find very useful.
One drawback, is a careful side-lining of the very important technique of using pulse-field gradients, although their cousin technique, named pulse-cycles is quite elaborately explained. I hope, the next issue of the book would also cover up this important technique.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good NMR text, October 4, 2004

By 

Wisethinker "SJC" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Paperback)

This is an excellent text book written by a chemist. Author handles some of hardware stuff as well as physical chemistry of NMR based on quantum mechanics. This text provides us with clear pictures of NMR phenomena. Some detailed explanations about basic NMR pulse sequences are excellent for everybody who studies this field.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for any aspiring NMR jockeys, January 18, 2004

By 

Alan A. Chen "robotkid" (Albany, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spin Dynamics: Basics of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (Hardcover)

For those studying biomolecules with NMR, the unofficial bible is of course the maroon colored Cavanagh book. Though this is an excellent book, it isn't the best suited book for beginners. This is where Levitt's book comes in: this is by far the kindest introduction to NMR that I have seen, with heavy emphasis on understanding the concepts first and the formalism later. The book is full of useful diagrams, detailed analogies, and exercises for the reader where other books only show equations. So borrows someone's Cavanagh first, and if you get stuck after 20 pages then order yourself a copy of Levitt and you won't be disappointed. If you already have studied NMR and are looking at how to apply it to proteins, then Cavanagh should suit you fine.