Prolate trochoidal mass spectrometer

A prolate trochoidal mass spectrometer is an chemical analysis instrument in which the ions of different mass-to-charge ratio are separated by means of mutually perpendicular electric and magnetic fields so that the ions follow a prolate trochoidal path.^[1] These devices are sometimes called cycloidal mass spectrometers, although the path is not a cycloid (the prolate trochoid path has loops, the cycloid has cusps).

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The instruments are used for the analysis of gases^[2] and in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.^[3] The trochoidal configuration can also be used as the basis of an electron monochromator.^[4]

References

^ Bleakney, Walker; John A. Hipple, Jr. (1938). "A New Mass Spectrometer with Improved Focusing Properties". Phys. Rev. 53 (7): 521 - 529. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.53.521. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
^ Adamczyk B, Bederski K, Wójcik L (1988). "Mass spectrometric investigation of dissociative ionization of toxic gases by electrons at 20-1000 eV". Biomed. Environ. Mass Spectrom. 16 (1-12): 415–7. PMID 3149538.
^ Laramée JA, Deinzer ML (1994). "Capillary gas chromatographic introduction of environmental compounds into a trochoidal electron monochromator/mass spectrometer". Anal. Chem. 66 (5): 719–24. PMID 8154592.
^ Voinov VG, Vasil'ev YV, Morré J, Barofsky DF, Deinzer ML, Gonin M, Egan TF, Führer K (2003). "A resonant electron capture time-of-flight MS with trochoidal electron monochromator". Anal. Chem. 75 (13): 3001–9. PMID 12964744.