  The magnetic excitation spectrum of a YBa_2 Cu_3 O_7 crystal containing 0.5%
of nonmagnetic (Zn) impurities has been determined by inelastic neutron
scattering. Whereas in the pure system a sharp resonance peak at E ~ 40 meV is
observed exclusively below the superconducting transition temperature T_c, the
magnetic response in the Zn-substituted system is broadened significantly and
vanishes at a temperature much higher than T_c. The energy-integrated spectral
weight observed near q = (pi,pi) increases with Zn substitution, and only about
half of the spectral weight is removed at T_c.
