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Abstract

The invention relates to measuring cells and measuring methods in oscillation mass spectrometers in which clouds of the same species of ion oscillate harmonically in a potential well in a longitudinal direction, decoupled from their motion transverse to this direction. A frequency analysis of the longitudinal oscillations of these ion clouds, which is carried out by a Fourier analysis of the induced image currents between two detection electrodes, leads to frequency spectra of the ions and hence to mass spectra. The position of the ion trajectories relative to the detection electrodes and the design of the measuring cells in the oscillation mass spectrometers is used to generate large proportions of harmonics in the image currents, and evaluate the frequency signals of the harmonics. The frequency signals of these harmonics have a higher resolution in the frequency spectrum (and hence in the mass spectrum), and allow resolution of the signals from ionic species of very similar mass which are not resolved in the fundamental oscillation. The accuracy of the mass determination increases proportionally

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First Claim