B₀, that is "B ''subscript'' zero", is also generally used in

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and ...

to denote the ''net magnetization vector''. Although in

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

the notation to represent a physical quantity can be arbitrary, it is generally accepted in the literature, such as the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine that B₀ represents net magnetization. This is particularly prominent in areas of science where magnetic fields are important such as

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets electromagnetic spectra. In narrower contexts, spectroscopy is the precise study of color as generalized from visible light to all bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectro ...

. By convention, B₀ is interpreted as a

vector Vector most often refers to: * Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction * Disease vector, an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematics a ...

quantity pointing the z-direction, with subsequent x and y cartesian axes oriented with the

right hand rule In mathematics and physics, the right-hand rule is a convention and a mnemonic, utilized to define the orientation of axes in three-dimensional space and to determine the direction of the cross product of two vectors, as well as to establish th ...

. B₀ is also the symbol often used to denote the ''reference'' magnetization in which equations with

electromagnetic fields In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interacti ...

are normalized.

References

Magnetic resonance imaging {{MRI-stub