The invention provides (a) a time-of-flight mass spectrometer with an acceleration region, a single-stage or multi-stage reflector, and an ion detector, further comprising an additional reflector whose potential has, at least in a subregion, a two-dimensional logarithmic potential component and a two-dimensional octopole potential component, and (b) methods for operating the time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

Ions having a restricted range of mass to charge ratios are transmitted to the acceleration region of a Time of Flight mass analyser. A control system applies a first extraction pulse to an acceleration electrode in order to accelerate a first group of ions into the time of flight region at a first time T1, wherein ions having the lowest mass to charge ratio in the first group of ions have a time of flight ΔT1.sub.min through the time of flight region and ions having the highest mass to charge ratio in the first group of ions have a time of flight ΔT1.sub.max through the time of flight region. The control system applies a second extraction pulse to the acceleration electrode at a subsequent second time T2, wherein ΔT1.sub.max−ΔT1.sub.min≦T2−T1<ΔT1.sub.max.

The present invention relates to improved methods for measuring the renewable bio-source carbon content and renewable bio-content in renewable bioplastic resins produced in manufacturing plants. In particular, the present invention relates to measuring the renewable bio-source carbon content in renewable bioplastic resins produced during a production run by correlating measured δ.sup.13C values are measured by iTOC-CRDS and CM-CRDS with actual renewable bio-source carbon content measurements (AMS or LSC .sup.14C) via a linear regression.

A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed involving scanning a parameter of a first device through which a mixture of components is passed. Different components are transmitted through or produced in the first device at different values of the parameter and hence scanning the device parameter introduces a temporal modulation or profile to the components. This temporal variation is then removed prior to mass analysing the components through a process of homogenisation.

A drive unit for driving an acceleration electrode of a mass spectrometer is disclosed. The drive unit includes a power converter comprising a switching element and pulsing circuitry that can form output pulses suitable for driving an acceleration electrode of a mass spectrometer. The drive unit also includes a controller that is configured to synchronise operation of the switching element with the pulsing circuitry.

A drive unit for driving an acceleration electrode of a mass spectrometer is disclosed. The drive unit includes a power converter comprising a switching element and pulsing circuitry that can form output pulses suitable for driving an acceleration electrode of a mass spectrometer. The drive unit also includes a controller that is configured to synchronise operation of the switching element with the pulsing circuitry.

An accelerator mass spectrometry measuring system is disclosed, including: an ECR high-current positive ion source subsystem; an injector subsystem; a high-current accelerator subsystem; a high-energy analysis subsystem; and a high-resolution detector subsystem; of which, the ECR high-current positive ion source subsystem, the injector subsystem, the high-current accelerator subsystem, high-energy analysis subsystem and a high-resolution detector subsystem are connected sequentially; the ECR high-current positive ion source subsystem is configured for generating high-current positive ions of multi-charge states; the high-current accelerator subsystem is configured for accelerating the high-current positive ions. The AMS system is high in beam, high in overall efficiency, and strong in how-down capability, and can greatly improve the abundance sensitivity of measurement.

Provided are a mass spectrometry system and a measuring method thereof. The mass spectrometry system comprises an ion source subsystem, an ion accelerator subsystem, a high-energy analyzer subsystem and a particle identification and detector subsystem which are sequentially connected. The ion source subsystem comprises a sampler component and a super-strong ionization ion source component connected with the sampler component; the high-energy analyzer subsystem comprises an analyzer component connected with the ion accelerator subsystem and a beam measuring component connected with the analyzer component; and the detector subsystem comprises a film connected with the beam measuring component and a detector connected with the film. A super-strong ionization technology is employed to eliminate interference of molecular ions; and an atomic number Z can be detected by using a particle identification technology, so as to obtain isobaric ions and information of ions with different mass numbers but the same M/q.

A drive unit for driving an acceleration electrode of a mass spectrometer is disclosed. The drive unit includes a power converter comprising a switching element and pulsing circuitry that can form output pulses suitable for driving an acceleration electrode of a mass spectrometer. The drive unit also includes a controller that is configured to synchronise operation of the switching element with the pulsing circuitry.

A rapid online analyzer for a .sup.14C-AMS, comprising: a solid sample processing module, an atmospheric sample collection and processing module, a microflow control module, an AMS module and an automatic control module. Sample preparation and AMS measurement are combined, a solid sample is directly converted into CO.sub.2 gas by an element analyzer and then enters an AMS for measurement, and an atmospheric sample is collected in real time for analysis by the AMS, such that quick and efficient analysis of the solid sample and the atmospheric sample is realized.