Figure 1

A) Short axis view and four chamber view of the heart illustrating the positioning of the volume (marked in red) used for volume selective shimming. B) B0 field variation derived after volume selective shimming. For this subject the global shim provided a peak-to-peak field variation was of about 400 Hz across the entire heart. After volume selective shimming peak-to-peak B0 variation across the heart was reduced to approximately 80 Hz. The direction of the maximal B0 gradient is illustrated by the dashed black line in and the corresponding profile of B0 field distribution is plotted in C). To guide the eye the epicardial borders are marked in B) and C) by two triangles.