Experimental confirmation of a theoretical prediction of a non-linear broadening of the spin packets of nitroxide free radicals due to Heisenberg spin exchange at low concentrations, C, is presented. A recent demonstration that spectra with resolved proton hyperfine structure may be analyzed efficiently and accurately was utilized to confirm the theory. As C→0, a plot of the spin-packet line width (SPW) curves downward due to the presence of proton hyperfine couplings that increase the number of distinguishable quantum spin states. At higher C, the broadening is linear with C and the results for the spin exchange rate constant determined from the slope of the broadening of the average spin-packet line width and electron spin echo measurements are in agreement. It is shown that applying modest digital smoothing does not change the values of the SPW. An example of a practical application of these methods to published work is presented, allowing an enigma to be resolved.
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