摘要:
A method and means for accurately regulating the rate of flow of supply gas to the burner or torch of a spectrometer. The flow rate is controlled by a valve (1) having a closure member (12) which is movable between a position at which it provides maximum obstruction to gas flow, and a position at which it provides minimum such obstruction. The closure member (12) movement is controlled by a pulsed electrical signal so that the closure member (12) moves rapidly and repeatedly between each of the two positions. Gas flow rate through the valve (1) is therefore dependent upon the aggregate of the times the closure member (12) spends in either of the two positions referred to, and that flow rate is changed by varying the frequency and/or pulse duration of the pulsed signal.
摘要:
An RF power generator (10) for an induction coil (26) for exciting an inductively coupled plasma in a torch (27) for spectrometry. The generator (10) comprises a switching circuit (12) for alternately switching ON and OFF solid state switching devices (20) via gate drive voltages (22) for supplying RF power into a resonant load circuit (16) comprising the induction coil (26) and parallel connected capacitance (25). The gate drive circuits (24) for each solid state switching device (20) each include a portion (30) that is mutually inductively coupled with leads of the induction coil (26) to provide the gate drive voltages (22). The circuit allows for reduced componentry and therefore a relatively inexpensive RF power generator for exciting and sustaining an inductively coupled plasma for spectrometry.
摘要:
A spectrophotometer including a light source (1) operative to emit a beam of light (15), an optical system for directing the light beam (15) to a sample (8) to be analysed, and a detector (9) which detects the intensity of the light beam after that beam interacrs with the sample (8). The light source (1) is operative to emit bursts of light separated by an interval during which no light is emitted. By way of example, a xenon tube may be used for that purpose. The spectrophotometer measures the intensity of the light beam generated by each burst of light after that beam interacts with the sample. Each such light beam may be divided into first and second parts (5 and 4) prior to interaction with the sample (8), and the optical system is arranged to direct the first part (5) to the sample (8) and to direct the second part (4) to a second detector (7) for conducting a reference measurement. A dark signal measurement may be conducted immediately before or after each burst of light.
摘要:
A plasma source for a spectrometer for spectrochemical analysis of a sample is characterised by use of the magnetic field component of applied microwave energy for exciting a plasma. The source includes a waveguide cavity (10) fed with TE10 mode microwave power. A plasma torch (16) passes through the cavity (10) and is axially aligned with a magnetic field maximum (18) of the applied microwave electromagnetic field. Magnetic field concentration structures such as triangular section metal bars (20) may be provided. In an alternative embodiment a resonant iris may be provided within a waveguide and the plasma torch positioned relative thereto such that the microwave electromagnetic field at the resonant iris excites the plasma.
摘要:
A mass spectrometer having an ion reflecting instead of ion transmissive optics system. The spectrometer includes an ion source (16) for providing a beam of sample particles including ions along an axis (24). Its ion optics system (34-46) establishes a reflecting electrostatic field for reflecting ions along a path (30) from the particle beam and focussing them at an entrance aperture (26) of a mass analyser (25) and ion detector (27) for spectrometric analysis. The invention allows more efficient separation of ions from neutral particles, gives better signal to noise ratios and allows for a compact 'optical' path and thus cheaper instrument to be manufacctured. The reflecting electrostatic field can also be used to filter higher energy ions from lower energy ions. An ion optical system as such is also disclosed.
摘要:
An electrode for use in a reduced pressure region in a mass spectrometer whereby the electrode is subject to deposition of dielectric (non-conducting) substances thereon, which can cause unstable performance of the mass spectrometer. The surface portion of the electrode that is for providing an equipotential boundary of an electric field for influencing charged particles is made rough, in contrast to the prior art of providing a polished surface. The rough surface provides projections and cavities, which may have a regular or irregular occurrence, which it has been found significantly reduces the deposition of dielectric substances from the charged particles thereon. A preferred structure is for a rod electrode (42) to have a screw thread (44) formed thereon whereby the thread crests (43) along the rod electrode provide projections (43) and the thread roots (45) provide cavities.
摘要:
A plasma source for a spectrometer includes a plasma torch (10) located within a waveguide or resonant cavity (40) for both the electric and the magnetic field comoponents of a microwave electromagnetic field to excite a plasma (54). This produces a plasma (54) having a generally elliptical cross section into which sample is relatively easily injected but which still provides good thermal coupling between the plasma and the sample. The invention gives significantly improved limits of detection compared to prior art microwave induced plasma systems. The torch is preferably axially aligned with the direction of the magnetic field component and may be located within a resonant iris (32) within the waveguide or cavity (40).
摘要:
Apparatus ( 10 ) for measuring absolute specular reflectance of a surface of a sample ( 22 ) includes a sample holder ( 12 ), a light source ( 18 ) for transmitting an incident light beam ( 16 ) onto a surface of the sample ( 22 ) and a detector ( 26 ) for detecting a specularly reflected component of the incident light. The light source ( 18 ), sample holder ( 12 ) and detector ( 26 ) are mounted and operatively associate ( 14, 24, 28 ) to be relatively moveable to vary the angle of incidence of light ( 16 ) onto sample ( 22 ) and to correspondingly automatically vary the relative position of the detector ( 26 ) such that the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. In the absence of the sample ( 22 ) or upon removal of the sample holder ( 12 ), light ( 16 ) impinges directly onto detector ( 26 ) to directly allow measurement of the absolute intensity of the light beam ( 16 ) as a reference measurement. This avoids the need to use intervening optical components such as mirrors which may degrade over time. It also allows provision of a relatively simplified apparatus.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for the spectrochemical analysis of a sample in which a solid state array detector (82) is used to detect radiation (62) of spectrochemical interest. The invention involves the use of a shutter (72) adjacent the entrance aperture (70) of a polychromator (74-80) to expose the detector (82) to the radiation (62) for varying lengths of time whereby for short duration exposure times charge accumulation in elements (i.e. pixels) of the detector (82) due to high intensity components of the radiation is limited and for longer exposure times charge accumulation in elements (pixels) of the detector (82) due to feeble intesity components of radiation (62) is increased. This ensures that each reading of the detector (82) includes at least one exposure in which the amount of charge accumulated at each wavelength of interest is neither too little or too great. The problems of feeble radiation components not being accurately measurable and of high intensity radiation components exceeding the charge carrying capacity of elements (pixels) of the detector (82) are thereby able to be avoided. An attenuator (90) may be placed between the radiation source (60) and the detector (82) to permit longer exposure times to be used for very high intensity radiation.