High-speed particle detector for discriminating charge states of ions

Abstract

Detected ion charge states are discriminated in a mass spectrograph using a superconducting stripline detector (SSLD) as the detector thereof. A set of mass spectra of the singly charged or higher ions, the doubly charged or higher ions, the triply charged or higher ions (and successively higher ion charge states) are determined by measuring the mass spectra successively while decreasing the bias current flowing through the superconducting stripline detector. Then, the data of singly charged ions alone can be determined by subtracting the data of the doubly charged or higher ions from the data of the singly charged or higher ions. In a similar manner, the data of doubly charged ions alone, the data of triply charged ions alone (and similarly successively multiply charged ions) can also be determined.