We present CuO 2 plane 17 O NMR measurements for Ni-substituted YBa 2 Cu 3 O 61y . The Ni moment induces an oscillatory spin density responsible for the broadening of the NMR line. In slightly overdoped y 1 compounds, this broadening scales with the Ni susceptibility. In contrast, such a scaling is not found in underdoped y 0.6 samples. We associate it with the T dependence of the antiferromagnetic staggered spin susceptibility x 0 ͑Q AF ͒ intrinsic to the CuO 2 planes. Discussion with respect to 63 Cu NMR transverse relaxation (T 2G ) and neutron scattering data shows that the AF correlation length j is T independent. [S0031-9007 (97)03937-9] PACS numbers: 74.25.Nf, 74.62.DhThe normal state of high-T c superconductors exhibits a peculiar magnetic behavior, distinct from that of a normal metal [1]. In the underdoped regime, well above T c , the static susceptibility x͑q 0͒ shows an anomalous "pseudogap" decrease with decreasing temperature T [2]. Simultaneously, antiferromagnetic (AF) correlations occur within the CuO 2 planes, as evidenced by an enhancement of the imaginary part of the susceptibility x 00 near the AF wave vector seen both in neutron scattering [3] and 63 Cu NMR longitudinal relaxation time [4]. These AF correlations might play a crucial role in the mechanism of superconductivity in these materials [5]. Thus, the AF correlation length j and both the imaginary and the real part of the staggered susceptibility at Q AF are major parameters for any coherent description of the cuprates. No clear experimental agreement on the T dependence of j and x 0 ͑q͒ is yet achieved. An integral information on x 0 ͑q͒ is available through 63 Cu transverse relaxation data ( 63 T 2G ) [6-9]. These data are usually analyzed as an increase of j at low T [10], whereas neutron experiments for x 00 suggest that j is T independent in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 61y [3]. No other technique has been used up to now to determine x 0 ͑q͒ at q fi 0.We propose here a new approach to probe x 0 ͑q͒, using magnetic impurity substitution effects in the CuO 2 planes. The impurity magnetic moment gm B ͗S Z ͘ acts as a local field H͑r͒~͗S Z ͘d͑r͒, which induces an in-plane spin polarization s͑r͒~x 0 ͑r͒͗S Z ͘. This polarization may be probed by the NMR of nuclei coupled to the planes: at r from the impurity, the NMR frequency shift dnH hf x 0 ͑r͒͗S Z ͘ is due to the hyperfine coupling H hf with the spin density. Hence, the broadening due to the shift distribution among the nuclei yields information on x 0 ͑r͒. We will show here that the use of the 17 O NMR probe allows us, for the first time, a thorough investigation of x 0 ͑r͒. This approach contrasts with the usual impurity studies of the specific properties of the magnetic defects [11] and their influence on superconductivity [12]. We find an anomalously large T variation of the 17 O linewidth for the underdoped composition. The specific geometry of the 17 O nuclei within the planes allows us through extended numerical simulations to demonstrate that the 17 O linewidth probes the amplitude of x 0 ...