Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating charged droplets of liquid entrained within a gas flow within a vacuum chamber and for controlling the gas flow. The gas flow with the entrained charged droplets of liquid is jetted into the vacuum chamber along a predetermined jetting axis. The gas jet is received within a gas conduit housed within the vacuum chamber and having a conduit bore coaxial with the predetermined jetting axis. The received gas jet is caused to be restrained to form a laminar gas flow entrained with charged droplets inside of the gas conduit for guiding the entrained charged droplets therealong.

Abstract: A guide apparatus includes a vacuum compartment provided at a background pressure and having a gas inlet opening arranged for jetting a gas in the form of a free jet stream containing entrained ions into a vacuum chamber along a predetermined jetting axis. At least one duct housed within the vacuum chamber has a guide bore positioned coaxially with the jetting axis for receiving the free jet stream such that a supersonic free jet is formed in the duct with a jet pressure ratio P1/P2 restrained to a value that does not exceed (A/a)3 to form a subsonic laminar gas flow inside of the duct for guiding the entrained ions, where P1 is the pressure at an exit end of the gas inlet opening, P2 is the background pressure, A is the cross sectional area of the bore, and a is the cross sectional area of the gas inlet opening.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating charged droplets of liquid entrained within a gas flow within a vacuum chamber and for controlling the gas flow. The gas flow with the entrained charged droplets of liquid is jetted into the vacuum chamber along a predetermined jetting axis. The gas jet is received within a gas conduit housed within the vacuum chamber and having a conduit bore coaxial with the predetermined jetting axis. The received gas jet is caused to be restrained to form a laminar gas flow entrained with charged droplets inside of the gas conduit for guiding the entrained charged droplets therealong.

Abstract: A guide apparatus includes a vacuum compartment provided at a background pressure and having a gas inlet opening arranged for jetting a gas in the form of a free jet stream containing entrained ions into a vacuum chamber along a predetermined jetting axis. At least one duct housed within the vacuum chamber has a guide bore positioned coaxially with the jetting axis for receiving the free jet stream such that a supersonic free jet is formed in the duct with a jet pressure ratio P1/P2 restrained to a value that does not exceed (A/a)3 to form a subsonic laminar gas flow inside of the duct for guiding the entrained ions, where P1 is the pressure at an exit end of the gas inlet opening, P2 is the background pressure, A is the cross sectional area of the bore, and a is the cross sectional area of the gas inlet opening.