Mass Spectrometry

A Mass Spectrometer generates multiple ions from the sample under investigation, it then separates them according to their specific mass-to-charge ratio (m/z), and then records the relative abundance of each ion type. The instrument consists of three major components. Ion Source, Analyzer, Detector System. A Mass Spectrometer should always perform the following processes:

Produce ions from the sample in the ionization source Separate these ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio in the mass analyzer          Eventually, fragment the selected ions and analyze the fragments in a second analyzer Detect the ions emerging from the last analyzer and measure their abundance with the detector that converts the ions into electrical signals Process the signals from the detector that are transmitted to the computer and control the instrument using feedback