Testing of mass filtered, time dilated, time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The Naval Research Laboratory’s Trace Element AMS system’s use of a Pretzel magnet as a recombinator and mass filter offers a unique opportunity to study a new type of time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometry. Mass filtering prior to TOF analysis removes extraneous species, shortening the analysis time for a single beam pulse, thereby improving the duty cycle. Time dilation results from a longer flight path for a heavier mass in the Pretzel magnet. Computer TOF simulations of these factors and the resulting impact on mass resolution for high mass atomic and molecular species are discussed. Initial measurements of carbon and silicon to confirm the validity of the model are presented.