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What are the main parts of a mass spectrometer?

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Figure 1: An electron bombardment ion source in cross section. An electron beam is drawn from the filament and accelerated across the region in which the ions are formed and toward the electron trap. An electric field produced by the repeller forces the ion beam from the source through the exit slit. — mass spectrometry Figure 1: *An electron bombardment ion source in cross section.* An electron beam is drawn from the filament and accelerated across the region in which the ions are formed and toward the electron trap. An electric field produced by the repeller forces the ion beam from the source through the exit slit.

A mass spectrometer is an analytical instrument used to identify chemical substances by sorting gaseous ions based on their mass-to-charge ratios. While some descriptions highlight four major components, these instruments generally consist of five basic parts:12

High vacuum system: Maintains the necessary environment for the analysis.1
Sample handling system (or inlet system): Used to introduce the analyte and convert it into a gas at reduced pressure.12
Ion source: Converts the gaseous analyte into a beam of charged particles (ions or ionic fragments), often through electron bombardment or collisions.12
Mass analyzer: Uses electric or magnetic fields to separate the ion beam into its components based on their mass-to-charge ratios. In time-of-flight analyzers, the time required for ions to travel through a flight tube is measured instead.12
Detector (or receiver): Measures the intensity of the separated ion beams, allowing for the observation or collection of data.12