FIELD-DEPENDENCE OF CROSS-RELAXATION IN SCANDIUM (I=7 2)/

We are studying the magnetic field dependence of the cross relaxation mechanism that couples the equal energy transitions +/- 5/2 <-- --> +/ - 7/2 and +/- 5/2 <-- --> +/- 1/2 through a second order dipolar inter action. Application of a small magnetic field, almost-equal-to 10 Gaus s, changes the characteristic shape of the magnetization recovery curv es. We attribute this change to the destruction of the cross relaxatio n since the condition of exact energy equality is no longer satisfied in the presence of such a magnetic field.