ByE r i k 0 cl e b l a cl and Gun n a r Lin cl s t r 0 m If a sample containing atomic nuclei with a magnetic moment is placed in a magnetic field, the nuclei take up certain allowed directions with respect to the field. Transitions between these quantized directions can be induced if electromagnetic radiation with the appropriate quantum energy acts upon the sample. In a magnetic field of about 6,700 gauss the quantum energy for proton transitions is about 9 ·10 20 erg, corresponding to a frequency of about 26.5 megacycles.If this 'resonance frequency' is applied to the specimen, and the magnetic field is swept over a small interval less than a gauss, absorption of energy can be detected by the resonance absorption technique of PURCELL,