Abstract: The present invention relates to a means and method for decreasing the energy distribution of ions produced from solid or liquid samples by pulsed desorption method. More particularly, the present invention discloses a method wherein the kinetic energies of ions are related to their locations at a given time after the excitation event which caused their desorption. Based on this relationship between ion position and energy, an accelerating electric field is applied at a predetermined time after the excitation event. The magnitude of the applied electric field and the time of its application are such that the kinetic energy distribution of the ions is substantially reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: A method of reducing radiation damping during free induction decay in NMR measurements of samples having a narrow line width uses the active switching of the quality factor value of the coil circuit of an NMR detection probe. After application of an excitation pulse to the sample, data acquisition is accomplished in periodic samples. The Q of the coil circuit is set to a high value while each sample is being taken, but is reduced significantly in between samples by detuning the coil circuit. Minimization of the high-Q state of the coil circuit and maximization of the difference between the high Q value and the low Q value greatly decrease the detrimental effects of radiation damping on free induction decay. The coil circuit Q is modified automatically by the application of a Q switching signal generated by a controller, such as a computer which controls other aspect of the NMR experiment.

Abstract: A composite RF pulse is created from a sequence of conventional homogeneous RF pulses and conventional gradient RF pulses and the composite pulse generates a gradient magnetic field with a spatially varying amplitude, but a spatially independent phase. In one embodiment of the invention, the pulse sequence consists of four conventional gradient RF pulses interspersed with two conventional homogeneous RF pulses. In another embodiment of the invention, a conventional gradient RF pulse is combined with a conventional homogeneous RF pulse and the pulse pair is repeated in order to generate an effective magnetic field with a spatially varying amplitude, but a spatially independent phase.

Abstract: Coherence transformation selectivity is improved by using combinations of homogeneous RF pulses and "radial" RF pulses that have a uniform RF field strength throughout the sample, but whose phase (relative to the detection coil phase) has a spatial dependence such that all possible phase differences are equally represented throughout the sample. The use of radial pulses allows the spin coherences in the sample to evolve in spatial waves and the observation, or suppression, of a given coherence can be selected by using a receiver coil which has a predetermined symmetry relative to the symmetry of the spatial wave.

Abstract: An NMR probe is designed to generate both a homogeneous RF field over the sample volume and, alternatively, a "radial" field comprising two orthogonal gradient fields generated simultaneously in the transverse plane or a linear gradient field. The homogeneous field is generated by means of a known homogeneous coil construction, such as a Helmholtz coil or modified Helmholtz coil. The radial field can be generated by means of an inverted Helmholtz coil, either modified or unmodified, and the linear field can be generated by a Golay type coil, which coils are positioned coaxially with the homogeneous coil. The two coils are connected in parallel to the RF signal generator and switching can be accomplished either by means of an active switch or by detuning one of the coil resonant circuits when the other coil is in use.