High mass resolution isochronous time-of-flight spectrograph for three-dimensional space plasma measurements (abstract)
- Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, Garching (Federal Republic of Germany)
- Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet Bern, Bern, (Switzerland)
- Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (USA)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (USA)
By combining a toroidal electrostatic analyzer with a novel cylindrically symmetric isochronous time-of-flight mass spectrometer, we have developed an instrument that simultaneously determines the three-dimensional distribution function of ions and differentiates species. The ion mass is determined to high resolution ({ital M}/{Delta}{ital M}{gt}50) from the time of flight within a harmonic field configuration defined by hyperboloid equipotential surfaces. A second conventional time-of-flight channel makes use of particles leaving the thin entrance foil as neutrals. An additional solid state detector in which the neutrals are stopped allows the total energy and thereby the ionic charge of the incident ions to be determined as well. Information from the neutral and the ion channels can be combined to determine the total mass of an incident molecular ion and the mass of one atomic fragment. This also removes the ambiguity between molecular ions and isotopic species of the same mass. A laboratory prototype has been used to demonstrate the feasibility of the principle of operation.
- OSTI ID:
- 6205822
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments; (USA), Vol. 61:10; ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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