TIME OF FLIGHT MASS SPECROMETER COMBINING FIELDS NON-LINEAR IN TIME AND SPACE

摘要

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer which has an ion source, an evacuated tube proximate the ion source and adapted to receive ions from the ion source, and a detector disposed at an end of the evacuated tube opposite an end proximate the ion source. The ion source is constructed to generate an electric field that changes non-linearly as a function of position along a path from the ion source to the detector. The ion source is constructed to generate an electric field that changes as a function of time, the electric field being provided to accelerate ions from the ion source to the detector.