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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. Figure 2: Paths of monoenergetic ions moving in a plane perpendicular to a magnetic field, passing through focal point B after originating at point A (see text). Figure 3: Focusing action of a radial electrostatic field produced by two semicylindrical charged electrodes on a monoenergetic beam of ions. The ions diverging from point A are brought to a focus at point B. Figure 4: Arrangement of the electrostatic and magnetic sectors in the Mattauch-Herzog double-focusing mass spectrometer. The ions are deflected in opposite directions in the electrostatic and magnetic fields. The divergent monoenergetic beam contains two ion species of different mass-to-charge ratio. All ions are brought to a focus along the plane AB. Figure 5: Arrangement of the electrostatic and magnetic sectors in the Nier double-focusing mass spectrometer. The angle of the electrostatic sector is 90° and that of the magnetic sector 60°. The direction of deflection of the ion beam is the same in both sectors. Figure 6: Schematic diagram of a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The pairs of opposing electrodes are electrically connected to a balanced voltage source having a radio frequency component superimposed on a constant potential. Combinations of values for the amplitude and frequency exist that allow ions of a given mass from a beam of constant energy to emerge undeflected. Figure 7: The mass spectrum of osmium. This recorder trace was obtained with an electron multiplier detecting OsO3−. The leftmost and rightmost peaks were recorded with the detector gain set at a value 100 times that used for the rest of the spectrum; this change is marked by the change in the baseline position. The small satellite peaks to the left are those of the low abundance oxygen isotopes 17O and 18O; the osmium isotopes are, from left to right, 184Os, 186Os, 188Os, 189Os, 190Os, and the satellite peaks of 192Os. Figure 8: Schematic diagram showing the ion trajectories in an accelerator mass spectrometer with application to 10Be. Negative ions of BeO leave the source and are mass analyzed with 10BeO− directed into the accelerator and 9BeO− into a Faraday cup. The molecular ions are broken up by gas and a thin carbon foil in the high-voltage terminal with much of the 10Be ionized to the 3+ charge state. The emerging ions pass through a velocity selector, are again analyzed for mass, and pass to the detector. Velocity selection is attained by a magnetic field and an electric field that are orthogonal to one another and to the beam direction; they are adjusted so that no deflection takes place for ions of the desired velocity. mass spectrum of 2-butanone
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mass spectrometry: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

R. Cole (Editor), Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry : Fundamentals, Instrumentation, and Applications (1997), John Wiley and Sons.

R. Cotter, Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry : Instrumentation and Applications in Biological Research (1997) American Chemical Society.

G. Siuzdak, Mass spectrometry for Biotechnology (1996), Academic Press.

C. Tuniz (Editor), J. R. Tuniz, D. Fink Bird, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry : Ultrasensitive Analysis for Global Science (1998) CRC Press.

W. M. A. Niessen, R. D. Voyksner (Editors) Current Practice in Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (1998) Elsevier Science Ltd.

R. Willoughby, E. Sheehan, S. Mitrovich, A Global View of LC/MS : How to Solve Your Most Challenging Analytical Problems (1998), Global View Publishing.

F.W. Aston, Mass-spectra and Isotopes, 2nd ed. (1942), is a comprehensive account of the early work that laid the foundations of accurate mass and isotopic abundance measurements.

M. C. McMaster, C. McMaster, GC/MS : A Practical User’s Guide (1998) John Wiley and Sons.

F.G. Kitson, B.S. Larsen, C. N. McEwen, Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry : A Practical Guide (1996) Academic Press.

Louis Brown

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Modified link of Web site: IOPscience - Journal of Physics: Conference Series - Some interesting and exotic applications of carbon-14 dating by accelerator mass spectrometry. Oct 02, 2026
Add new Web site: The Royal Society Publishing - Philosophical Transactions A - Quantitative mass spectrometry: an overview. Apr 04, 2026
Add new Web site: ACS Publications - A Brief History of Mass Spectrometry. Feb 20, 2026
Add new Web site: OpenStax - Organic Chemistry - Mass Spectrometry of Small Molecules: Magnetic-Sector Instruments. Dec 13, 2025
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - BioMed Central - Mass Spectrometry: A Guide for the Clinician. May 30, 2025
Add new Web site: CiteSeerX - Mass spectrometry - A review (PDF). Apr 19, 2025
Add new Web site: Frontiers - Frontiers in Chemistry - Towards Higher Sensitivity of Mass Spectrometry: A Perspective From the Mass Analyzers. Jan 09, 2025
Add new Web site: IOPscience - Journal of Physics: Conference Series - Some interesting and exotic applications of carbon-14 dating by accelerator mass spectrometry. Oct 18, 2024
Add new Web site: Khan Academy - Mass spectrometry. Oct 11, 2024
Add new Web site: University of Pittsburgh - Department of Chemistry - Mass Spectrometry Introduction. Aug 17, 2024
Add new Web site: Open Library Publishing Platform - Organic and Biochemistry Supplement to Enhanced Introductory College Chemistry - Mass Spectrometry (MS). May 23, 2024
Add new Web site: Whitman College - Basic Mass Spectrometry. Apr 11, 2024
Add new Web site: Khan Academy - Mass spectrometry. Mar 01, 2024
Add new Web site: Iowa State University - Chemical Instrumentation Facility - Mass Spectrometry Tutorial. Nov 03, 2023
Add new Web site: Academia - Mass Spectroscopy. Sep 08, 2023
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - BioMed Central - Mass Spectrometry: A Guide for the Clinician. Mar 22, 2023
Add new Web site: Scripps Center for Mass Spectrometry - Basics of Mass Spectrometry. Feb 10, 2023
Add new Web site: Chemistry LibreTexts - Mass Spectrometry. Sep 13, 2022
Corrected display issue. Mar 24, 2020
Add new Web site: Michigan State University - Mass Spectrometry. Aug 29, 2010
Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - Science - How Mass Spectrometry Works. Aug 29, 2010
Add new Web site: National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Mass Spectrometry 101. Aug 29, 2010
Add new Web site: Chemguide - The Mass Spectrometer. Aug 29, 2010
Article added to new online database. Jul 26, 1999
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