Time-dependent electromagnetic fields are significantly attenuated by conducting media (including the human body); the skin depth gives a measure of the average depth of penetration of the RF field.
A high power frequency tunable RF source can be rapidly switched on and off. This produces a large RF field perpendicular to the magnetic field. This RF field is focused by the body coil. The RF source and coils must be tunable in both frequency and impedance to
'match the impedance' of the patient's body.
The gradient slew rate is the speed rate of ascent or descent of a gradient from zero to its maximum amplitude, either positive or negative. Which is the amplitude divided by the rise time in msec. Measured in mT/m/msec or T/m/sec. The shorter the rise time, the faster the gradients and therefore echo spacing. Gradients with a shorter echo spacing will have a better resolution and more slices per TR.