Linear Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry With Simultaneous Space And Velocity Focusing

摘要

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes an ion source that generates ions. A two-field ion accelerator receives the ions generated by the ion source and generates an electric field that accelerates the ions through an ion flight path. A pulsed ion accelerator generates an accelerating electric field that focuses the ions to a focal plane where the ion flight time to the focal plane for an ion of predetermined mass-to-charge ratio is substantially independent to first order of an initial velocity of the ions prior to acceleration. An ion detector is positioned at the focal plane to detect ions. The two-field ion accelerator generates electric fields that cause the ion flight time to the ion detector for an ion of predetermined mass-to-charge ratio to be substantially independent to first order of both the initial position and the initial velocity of the ions prior to acceleration.