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Method and apparatus for confinement of ions in the presence of a neutral gas

Patent ·
OSTI ID:872420
 [1];  [1]
  1. Richland, WA
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The present invention is an apparatus and method for combining ions with a neutral gas and flowing the mixture with a radial flow component through a magnetic field so that the weakly ionized gas is confined by the neutral gas. When the weakly ionized gas is present in sufficient density, a weakly ionized non-neutral plasma is formed that may be trapped in accordance with the present invention. Applications for a weakly ionized non-neutral plasma exploit the trap's ability to store and manipulate ionic species in the presence of neutral gas. The trap may be connected to a mass spectrometer thereby permitting species identification after a fixed period of time. Delicate and/or heavy particles such as clusters may be held and studied in a "gentle" environment. In addition, the trap can provide a relatively intense, low-energy source of a particular ion species for surface implantation or molecular chemistry. Finally, a long trap may permit spectroscopy of unprecedented accuracy to be performed on ionic species.

Research Organization:
BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
Assignee:
Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
Patent Number(s):
US 5931986
OSTI ID:
872420
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)

Transport to thermal equilibrium of a pure electron plasma journal January 1979
The non-neutral plasma: an introduction to physics with relevance to cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry journal December 1996

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chemistry
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combining
component
confined
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delicate
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finally
fixed
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gentle
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radial
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