Now I am trying to figure out if NMR can be used to heat atoms that are not isotopes. (To my understanding, an isotope is an atom that has a different number of neutrons than the atom as it appears on the periodic chart). I know the wikipedia page on NMR says the atoms have to be isotopes, but is that just for getting emissions back from the nuclei? The following page seems to suggest that atoms, such as copper, do have a magnetic component to them, especially when they are in alloy form. Would the brass alloy (copper and zinc) be heatable with NMR? Here's that page: http://www.quora.com/Magnetism/Is-copper-magnetic"
Is the requirement for NMR heating that the atom or molecule not have the same number of protons and electrons?
Key question: How is it that metals heat up so much in microwave ovens? Is that NMR? If not, what is it? Is it just because metals are more dense?
In the "Theory of nuclear magnetic resonance" section of the NMR wikipedia page, it says, to my understanding, that if the number of neutrons is odd, or if the number of protons is odd, then NMR will work for such an atom. Copper, for instance, has 29 protons, and 35 neutrons (both odd numbers). Therefore, wouldn't NMR be able to heat copper?
Furthermore, on the NMR wikipedia page, it says plain old hydrogen is the most sensitive atom for NMR (not any hydrogen isotope)!
If an atom does have to be an isotope (different number of neutrons than on the periodic chart) in order for NMR to cause heating, why is that the case? (Why only isotopes?)
Does anyone know the answers?
Gracias