4. Glossary

Mass Spectrometry; Spectrométrie de masse

A chemical analysis technique in which species (molecules or elements) are placed in a gaseous phase under vacuum and ionized. The ions are then separated according to their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) by means of an electric or magnetic field, before being detected.

Time of Flight Analyser; Analyseur par temps de vol

Component element of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, in which ions are separated according to their mass-to-charge ratio m/z by their time-of-flight in a field-free space after having all been accelerated with the same kinetic energy following a primary ion pulse. The flight time between primary ion pulse and secondary ion detection is proportional to the square root of m/z, according to the formula