Which pulse sequence would produce the highest SAR?

The specific absorption rate (SAR) is a measure of the rate at which energy is absorbed by the body when exposed to a radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field during an MRI scan. SAR is influenced by several factors, including the flip angle, RF duration, and repetition time (TR).

In the provided scenarios, the flip angle is particularly significant in determining the SAR. A higher flip angle results in a greater amount of energy being absorbed by the tissue during each RF pulse. Additionally, the RF duration also contributes to SAR; longer RF pulse durations generally lead to higher energy absorption.

In your case, the choice with TR = 1200 ms, a flip angle of 120 degrees, and an RF duration of 0.5 ms results in a high flip angle and a longer RF duration, which together can lead to a higher SAR value when compared to the other choices, despite the TR being shorter.

Other options have varying combinations of TR, flip angle, and RF duration, which may result in lower SAR values. For instance, the impacts of shorter RF durations or lower flip angles can reduce the overall energy deposition, leading them to be less optimal for generating high SAR values.

Ultimately, the combination found in choice C effectively maxim