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Mass Spectrometer

  • 09-12-2005 4:53pm
    #1
    the cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 93 ✭✭


    Can anyone tell me the main functions of a mass spectrometer? I know its used to identify unknown compounds and the abundunce of isotopes but im sure it does something else. Can anyone tell me what im missing? Im really confused:confused: I havent got a clue about the processes involved either acceleration, seperation etc. Can Anyone help??

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    caracal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭caracal


    Well a SIMS, seconday ion mass spectroscopy machine, can be used for depth determining of a solid by ion milling of successive layers. Basically by sputtering off of surface atoms over a period of time you can determine the depth. Is that what your missing?


  • #3
    BrayHead
    Closed Accounts Posts: 74 ✭✭BrayHead


    Have a read of this

    http://www.asms.org/whatisms/page_index.html

    The basic idea of a mass spectrometer is to count atoms or molecules. It does this by seperating them on the basis of their masses. Electric and or magnetic fields are used to manipulate the atoms and to filter them into a detector in a manner dependent on how heavy they are. Of course to manipulate the atoms we have to ionise them such that electric and magnetic fields can interact with them thus giving us the idea of force in this context. Ionisation is usually by electron impact ... simply firing an electron at a neutral atom will cause the neutral atom to shed an electron thus becoming singly positively ionised.

    Let me know if you need more help.


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