The electron spectrometer includes an excitation part 100 irradiating a sample with an energy beam, an orbiting part 10 causing electrons emitted from the sample irradiated with the energy beam to orbit, and a detection part 120 detecting the electrons released from the orbiting part 10, in which the orbiting part 10 includes a plurality of pairs of electrodes, the plurality of pairs of electrodes cause the electrons to orbit when an applied voltage is controlled, a part of the plurality of pairs of electrodes are pairs of electrodes to catch which catch the electrons into the orbiting part 10 when an applied voltage is controlled, and a part of the plurality of pairs of electrodes are pairs of electrodes to release which release the electrons from the orbiting part 10 when an applied voltage is controlled.

A mass spectrometer comprising: an ion energy filter 14 arranged and configured to filter ions according to their kinetic energy and so as to only transmit ions having a component of kinetic energy in a first dimension (z-dimension) that is within a selected range; and a multi-reflecting time of flight mass analyser or mass separator 1 having an ion accelerator 6, and two gridless ion mirrors 2 that are elongated in the first dimension (z-dimension) and configured to reflect ions multiple times in a second orthogonal dimension (x-dimension), wherein the ion accelerator 6 is arranged to receive ions from the energy filter 14 and accelerate the ions into one of the ion mirrors 2.

An instrument for separating ions may include an ion source configured to generate ions from a sample, at least one ion separation instrument configured to separate the generated ions as a function of at least one molecular characteristic and an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) positioned to receive ions exiting the at least one ion separation instrument. The ELIT has first and second ion mirrors separated by a charge detection cylinder, and is configured such that an ion trapped therein oscillates back and forth through the charge detection cylinder between the first and second ion mirrors with a duty cycle, corresponding to a ratio of time spent by the trapped ion traversing the charge detection cylinder and total time spent by the trapped ion traversing a combination of the first and second ion mirrors and the charge detection cylinder during one complete oscillation cycle, of approximately 50%.

An instrument for separating ions may include an ion source configured to generate ions from a sample, at least one ion separation instrument configured to separate the generated ions as a function of at least one molecular characteristic and an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) positioned to receive ions exiting the at least one ion separation instrument. The ELIT has first and second ion mirrors separated by a charge detection cylinder, and is configured such that an ion trapped therein oscillates back and forth through the charge detection cylinder between the first and second ion mirrors with a duty cycle, corresponding to a ratio of time spent by the trapped ion traversing the charge detection cylinder and total time spent by the trapped ion traversing a combination of the first and second ion mirrors and the charge detection cylinder during one complete oscillation cycle, of approximately 50%.

An environmental sensor may acquire data related to flux and energy of charged particles in an environment for using the data to determine, in substantially real time, whether the environment is conducive to an anomaly caused by the charged particles. The sensor may include an electrostatic analyzer structurally configured for charged particle detection, the electrostatic analyzer generating controllable electric fields to provide energy filtering of incoming charged particles, where, after filtering, the charged particles impact a charge multiplier to establish a detectable signal. The sensor may further include a plurality of silicon detector telescopes structurally configured to collectively detect electrons having energy within the range of about 100 electronvolts (eV) to about 5 mega-electronvolts (MeV) and to collectively detect protons having energy within the range of about 2 MeV to about 100 MeV.

An environmental sensor may acquire data related to flux and energy of charged particles in an environment for using the data to determine, in substantially real time, whether the environment is conducive to an anomaly caused by the charged particles. The sensor may include an electrostatic analyzer structurally configured for charged particle detection, the electrostatic analyzer generating controllable electric fields to provide energy filtering of incoming charged particles, where, after filtering, the charged particles impact a charge multiplier to establish a detectable signal. The sensor may further include a plurality of silicon detector telescopes structurally configured to collectively detect electrons having energy within the range of about 100 electronvolts (eV) to about 5 mega-electronvolts (MeV) and to collectively detect protons having energy within the range of about 2 MeV to about 100 MeV.

Disclosed are various examples related to ion or particle spectrometry utilizing a monolithic collimator and energy analyzer. In one example, a particle selection device includes a single substrate including a curved channel energy analyzer section and a straight channel collimator section, wherein particles pass through the collimator section and enter the energy analyzer section of the substrate. The channel outlets in the collimator section are aligned with the channel inlets of the energy analyzer section. Electric and/or magnetic fields can be applied across the channels of the energy analyzer for ion or particle discrimination. A particle detector at the outlet of the energy analyzer section can provide indications of detected ions and/or particles.

Disclosed are various examples related to ion or particle spectrometry utilizing a monolithic collimator and energy analyzer. In one example, a particle selection device includes a single substrate including a curved channel energy analyzer section and a straight channel collimator section, wherein particles pass through the collimator section and enter the energy analyzer section of the substrate. The channel outlets in the collimator section are aligned with the channel inlets of the energy analyzer section. Electric and/or magnetic fields can be applied across the channels of the energy analyzer for ion or particle discrimination. A particle detector at the outlet of the energy analyzer section can provide indications of detected ions and/or particles.

A static magnetic field is applied in the same direction using a first magnet and a second magnet. The magnetic field is applied to a gap of uniform thickness between the first and second magnets. Voltages are applied to three or more electrodes located in the gap using a switchable voltage source. The voltages are applied to create a static electric field perpendicular to the static magnetic field in an input channel and at least one channel of two or more output channels. The channels are defined by gaps between the three or more electrodes. The simultaneous application of the static magnetic field and the static electric field causes ions from an ion beam of a mass spectrometer to move into and through the input channel and through at least one channel of the two or more output channels to another location in the mass spectrometer.

An instrument for separating ions may include an ion source configured to generate ions from a sample, at least one ion separation instrument configured to separate the generated ions as a function of at least one molecular characteristic and an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) positioned to receive ions exiting the at least one ion separation instrument. The ELIT has first and second ion mirrors separated by a charge detection cylinder, and is configured such that an ion trapped therein oscillates back and forth through the charge detection cylinder between the first and second ion mirrors with a duty cycle, corresponding to a ratio of time spent by the trapped ion traversing the charge detection cylinder and total time spent by the trapped ion traversing a combination of the first and second ion mirrors and the charge detection cylinder during one complete oscillation cycle, of approximately 50%.