Numerical analysis of trajectories in a Cassinian ion trap of second order with trap door ion inlet

Abstract

Ion traps like the Orbitrap are well known mass analyzers with very high resolving power. This resolving power is achieved with help of ions orbiting around an inner electrode for long time, in general up to a few seconds, since the mass signal is obtained by calculating the Fourier Transform of the induced signal caused by the ion motion. A similar principle is applied in the Cassinian Ion Trap of second order, where the ions move in a periodic pattern in-between two inner electrodes. The Cassinian ion trap has the potential to offer mass resolving power comparable to the Orbitrap with advantages regarding the experimental implementation. In this paper we have investigated the details of the ion motion analyzing experimental data and the results of different numerical methods, with focus on increasing the resolving power by increasing the oscillation frequency for ions in a high field ion trap. In this context the influence of the trap door, a tunnel through which the ions are injected into the trap, on the ion velocity becomes especially important.