Investigation of the asymmetric distributions of RF transmission and reception fields at high static field.

When radiofrequency (RF) transmission field represents B(1)(+), the reception field represents B(1)(-)*. The distribution of those maps demonstrates asymmetric features at high field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Both maps are in mirror symmetry to one another. Almost symmetric distribution of the B(1) field was expected on the laboratory frame in a symmetric sample loaded inside the RF coil designed to achieve a homogeneous B(1) field. Then, a simple change was made in the coordinate transformation equation of RF fields between the rotating and laboratory frames in both linear and quadrature modes to investigate the source of this feature of asymmetry. The magnitude of rotating frame components, B(1)(+) and B(1)(-), consists of the magnitude and the phase difference of the laboratory frame components. The rotating frame components differ in the sign of the sinusoidal phase difference. B(1)(+) is equal to B(1)(-) at lower field because phase changes that depend on position can be ignored. At higher fields, the magnitude component has a symmetric profile, and distribution in the phase component is antisymmetric. Thus, the distributions of B(1)(+) and B(1)(-) maps demonstrate mirror symmetry. Maps of magnitude and phase components were examined in the laboratory frame. Their maps were computed from B(1)(+) and B(1)(-) maps of the human brain and of a spherical saline phantom measured at 4.7T. It was concluded from these analytical and experimental results that the asymmetric and mirror symmetric distributions in B(1)(+) and B(1)(-) are derived from the phase difference in the laboratory frame.