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quadrupole mass spectrometer

instrument

Quick Summary

A quadrupole mass spectrometer is an instrument used in mass spectrometry to analyze ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio. It utilizes four cylindrical electrodes arranged parallel to each other. By applying specific static and radio frequency voltages to these electrodes, ions are subjected to forces that cause them to oscillate. Only ions with a particular mass-to-charge ratio can maintain stable oscillations and pass through the instrument, while others are deflected and lost. This makes the quadrupole spectrometer effective for high-speed data acquisition and offers adjustable sensitivity and resolution by altering electrical parameters. It is commonly used in gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers. The development of this device was described in 1953 by Wolfgang Paul and Helmut Steinwedel.12

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