A method of forecasting transport of a region of plasma density enhancement within a polar region is provided. The method comprises: providing a convection model for predicting electrostatic potential distribution within the polar region over time; determining the total electron content distribution within the polar region; and determining whether reconnection is occurring. If reconnection is determined to be occurring, the method comprises: identifying a region of plasma density enhancement using the total electron content distribution; and calculating a velocity of at least a portion of the plasma density enhancement using the convection model, such that transport of a region of plasma density enhancement over time can be forecast.

An analysis device includes an electron emission element, a collector, an electric field former, a power source, and a controller. The electron emission element includes a bottom electrode, a surface electrode, and an intermediate layer arranged between the bottom electrode and the surface electrode. The power source and the controller allow application of a voltage between the bottom electrode and the surface electrode. The electric field former forms an electric field in an ion movement region where anions directly or indirectly generated by electrons emitted from the electron emission element move toward the collector. The collector and the controller allow measurement of a current waveform of an electric current made to flow by arrival of anions at the collector. The controller regulates, based on the current waveform, a voltage applied between the bottom electrode and the surface electrode.

Systems and methods are provided for performing multiplex electrostatic linear ion trap mass spectrometry. A first beam of ions is received and the first beam is split into N beams of ions using a beam splitter. N is two or more. Ions are received from only one of the N beams of ions at each entrance aperture of N entrance apertures of an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT). Ions from each entrance aperture of the N entrance apertures are trapped in separate linear flight paths using the ELIT, producing N separate linear flight paths. Ion oscillations in the N separate linear flight paths are measured at substantially the same time using the ELIT. The ELIT uses two concentric mirrors with N apertures to trap ions in the N separate linear flight paths. The ELIT uses an image current detector with N apertures to the measure the ion oscillations.

A monitoring system detects and measures a quantity of radical particles within a gas. A test chamber is coupled to a flow channel that transmits a gas. The test chamber defines an aperture connecting the test chamber and the flow channel, and the aperture permits a subset of the gas to enter the test chamber from the flow channel. An ionizer is positioned within the test chamber and generates radical ions from radical particles of the subset of the gas. A mass spectrometer measures a quantity of the radical ions, thereby providing a measurement of the radical particles in the gas.

There is disclosed a method for eliminating an added crosstalk signal from a measured data signal, which is generated by an image current. There is further disclosed a signal processing unit for carrying out the method. There is still further disclosed a mass spectrometer and a mass analyser comprising the signal processing unit for carrying out the method. There is yet still further disclosed a Fourier transform mass spectrometer configured to eliminate the added crosstalk signal from a measured data signal.

A signal processing unit comprises: at least one data signal input line adapted to receive a measured data signal generated by an image current, the measured data signal comprising an added crosstalk signal induced by a source of electromagnetic disturbance; at least one disturbance signal input line adapted to receive a decoupled disturbance signal, extracted from the source of electromagnetic disturbance; an output line adapted to supply a compensated data signal; a conditioning module, to which the decoupled disturbance signal is supplied via the disturbance signal input line and which provides a compensation signal; and an adding module, to which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are provided and in which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are superposed, whereby the decoupled disturbance signal is conditioned by the conditioning module such that the compensation signal essentially corresponds to an inverted added crosstalk signal.

A signal processing unit comprises: at least one data signal input line adapted to receive a measured data signal generated by an image current, the measured data signal comprising an added crosstalk signal induced by a source of electromagnetic disturbance; at least one disturbance signal input line adapted to receive a decoupled disturbance signal, extracted from the source of electromagnetic disturbance; an output line adapted to supply a compensated data signal; a conditioning module, to which the decoupled disturbance signal is supplied via the disturbance signal input line and which provides a compensation signal; and an adding module, to which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are provided and in which the measured data signal and the compensation signal are superposed, whereby the decoupled disturbance signal is conditioned by the conditioning module such that the compensation signal essentially corresponds to an inverted added crosstalk signal.

On field ionization under ambient conditions is described and applied on both ionization and desorption of various chemicals and biochemical present on the surface of materials in solid, liquid or gas states. The Atmospheric Pressure Megavolt Electrostatic Field Ionization Desorption (APME-FID) method generates ions directly from the surface of samples connected to a high electrical voltage at megavolt conditions. Megavolt electrostatic potential is generated and gradually accumulated directly on the sample surface by a Van de Graaff generator without causing damage to the sample. Therefore, when coupled with mass spectrometric system, the APME-FID-MS method enables direct detection of analytes on the surface of samples in different sizes and diverse types.

An analysis device includes an electron emission element, a collector, an electric field former, a power source, and a controller. The electron emission element includes a bottom electrode, a surface electrode, and an intermediate layer arranged between the bottom electrode and the surface electrode. The power source and the controller allow application of a voltage between the bottom electrode and the surface electrode. The electric field former forms an electric field in an ion movement region where anions directly or indirectly generated by electrons emitted from the electron emission element move toward the collector. The collector and the controller allow measurement of a current waveform of an electric current made to flow by arrival of anions at the collector. The controller regulates, based on the current waveform, a voltage applied between the bottom electrode and the surface electrode.

Elongation of orthogonal accelerators is assisted by ion spatial transverse confinement within novel confinement means, formed by spatial alternation of electrostatic quadrupolar field (22). Contrary to prior art RF confinement means, the static means provide mass independent confinement and may be readily switched. Spatial confinement defines ion beam (29) position, prevents surfaces charging, assists forming wedge and bend fields, and allows axial fields in the region of pulsed ion extraction, this way improving the ion beam admission at higher energies and the spatial focusing of ion packets in multi-reflecting, multi-turn and singly reflecting TOF MS or electrostatic traps.