The transfer of homonuclear spin polarization in a small ring system of pro
tons which are coupled with dipole-dipole interaction has been explored exp
erimentally. The approach was to follow the magnetization transfer from one
initially polarized proton to other protons in a benzene molecule dissolve
d in a liquid crystal matrix. The results show that, at times up to about 1
00 ms, the magnetization of the initially polarized spin oscillates around
a value higher than 1/6 of its initial magnetization, and the system does n
ot approach a state close to thermodynamic equilibrium on this time scale.
(C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(99)01940-6].