ment is extremely small, less than 0.2 Jmol-', corresponding to the thermal energy at 30 mK. The monitoring of molecular properties is thus virtually perturbation-free. Nevertheless, the interaction is highly sensitive to the local environment.3 ) Information on the structure of molecules can be obtained from nuclear pair interactions : Magnetic dipoledipole interactions provide distance information, while scalar J couplings allow one to determine dihedral angles.At first glance, it may be astonishing that it is possible to accurately determine internuclear distances by radio frequencies with wavelengths 1 E 1 m, since this seemingly violates the quantum mechanical uncertainty relation, crq . crp 2 h/2, with the linear momentum p = 2 x h/L, as it applies to scattering experiments or to a microscope. It is important that in magnetic resonance the geometric Angcw. Chrm. I n f . Ed. Engl. 1992. 31, 805-823 : ( > VCH Verlugsgesellrchufi mhH, W-6940 Weinheim, 1992 0570-0833/92/0707-0805 $3.50+ ,2510Angen.