Ionizer and mass spectrometer including first section for ionizing sample under atmospheric pressure while vaporizing or desorbing the sample component and second section for generating corona discharge

Abstract

In the ionizer of the present invention, a stream of gas spouted from a nozzle () of a DART ionization unit () vaporizes and ionizes the components in a sample (). Gaseous sample-component molecules which have not been ionized by that process are subsequently ionized by a reaction with a reactant ion produced by a corona discharge generated from a needle electrode (). Such a two-stage ionization of the sample-component molecules improves the ionization efficiency. A needle-electrode support mechanism () adjusts the position and/or angle of the needle electrode () and thereby controls a potential gradient. Therefore, a specific sample-derived ion species can be efficiently introduced into an ion introduction tube () and be detected with a high level of sensitivity.