Prolate trochoidal mass spectrometer
Encyclopedia
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 field
s so that the ions follow a prolate trochoidal
path. 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).
. The trochoidal configuration can also be used as the basis of an electron
monochromator
.
Mass-to-charge ratio
The mass-to-charge ratio ratio is a physical quantity that is widely used in the electrodynamics of charged particles, e.g. in electron optics and ion optics. It appears in the scientific fields of lithography, electron microscopy, cathode ray tubes, accelerator physics, nuclear physics, Auger...
are separated by means of mutually perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
electric
Electric field
In physics, an electric field surrounds electrically charged particles and time-varying magnetic fields. The electric field depicts the force exerted on other electrically charged objects by the electrically charged particle the field is surrounding...
and magnetic field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
s so that the ions follow a prolate trochoidal
Trochoid
thumb|290px|right|A [[cycloid]] generated by a rolling circleTrochoid is the word created by Gilles de Roberval for the curve described by a fixed point as a circle rolls along a straight line...
path. These devices are sometimes called cycloidal mass spectrometers, although the path is not a cycloid
Cycloid
A cycloid is the curve traced by a point on the rim of a circular wheel as the wheel rolls along a straight line.It is an example of a roulette, a curve generated by a curve rolling on another curve....
(the prolate trochoid path has loops, the cycloid has cusps).
Applications
The instruments are used for the analysis of gases and in gas chromatography-mass spectrometryGas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry is a method that combines the features of gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a test sample. Applications of GC-MS include drug detection, fire investigation, environmental analysis, explosives investigation,...
. The trochoidal configuration can also be used as the basis of an electron
Electron
The electron is a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. It has no known components or substructure; in other words, it is generally thought to be an elementary particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1/1836 that of the proton...
monochromator
Monochromator
A monochromator is an optical device that transmits a mechanically selectable narrow band of wavelengths of light or other radiation chosen from a wider range of wavelengths available at the input...
.