Obtaining a proton density distribution from nuclear magnetic resonance data

A computer-implemented method of obtaining a proton density distribution, the method comprising:

• acquiring nuclear magnetic resonance data from porous media;
• determining a proton density distribution of the porous media from the nuclear magnetic resonance data, wherein the proton density distribution comprises one or more spectra comprised of a plurality of predetermined zones, one or more of the predetermined zones having a peak of the distribution therein, and wherein determining the proton density distribution comprises parameterizing the proton density distribution according to a non-linear basis function by fitting a single basis component to the distribution in each of the predetermined zones that has a peak of the distribution therein;
• and
• outputting the determined proton density distribution.

A method of obtaining information related to a proton density distribution, the method comprising:

• acquiring nuclear magnetic resonance data from media;
• defining a function that implements the acquired nuclear magnetic resonance data and depends on m parameters of the proton density distribution such that the function is minimized as a solution for the m parameters of the proton density distribution is approached;
• implementing a global optimization algorithm to determine the solution for the m parameters of the proton density distribution;
• and
• outputting the solution for the m parameters of the proton density distribution.