First distance-of-flight instrument: opening a new paradigm in mass spectrometry.

A new instrumental concept, distance-of-flight mass spectrometry (DOFMS), is demonstrated experimentally. In DOFMS the mass-to-charge ratio of ions is determined by the distance each ion travels during a fixed time period; the mass spectrum is then recorded with a position-sensitive detector. The DOF approach provides a new way to separate and quantify components of complex samples. Initial results are demonstrated with a glow discharge ion source and a microchannel plate-phosphor screen detector assembly for atomic ion determination. This detection system demonstrated mass spectral peak widths of approximately 0.65 mm, corresponding to resolving powers of approximately 400-600 for a number of elemental samples.