Abstract: In performing an isolation of specific ions or performing a dissociation operation by CID, ions are captured by applying a radio-frequency high voltage to a ring electrode 31 as before. In a cooling operation which is performed immediately before target ions are ejected toward a TOFMS unit 4 with the ions stored in an ion trap 3, a radio-frequency high voltage is not applied to the ring electrode 31 but to end cap electrodes 32 and 34 to capture the ions. In this operation, the frequency thereof is set to be higher than that of the voltage applied to the ring electrode 31 and the amplitude is also increased in order to assure a large pseudopotential and keep the low mass cutoff (LMC). This narrows the spatial distribution of the cooled ions, reducing the variation of the initial positions of the ions at the point in time when they are ejected, which increases the mass resolution.

Abstract: When ions accumulated in the exit side end of ion guide are to be injected into ion trap as packets, the application of square wave high frequency voltage to ring electrode from main voltage generating unit is stopped. Once nearly all the ions have been injected into ion trap, the application of square wave high frequency voltage from main voltage generating unit to ring electrode is momentarily started, at which time the application of square wave high frequency voltage is started from a phase in the range of 90°±40° or 270°±40°. It is thereby possible to reduce the extent of spread of ions immediately after application of high frequency voltage and to improve the ion trapping efficiency.

Abstract: An electrostatic lens (3), including five cylindrical electrodes (31-35) arrayed along an ion-optical axis (C) and an aperture plate (38) located on a common focal plane of two virtual convex lenses (L1 and L2) formed under an afocal condition, is used as an ion-injecting optical system for sending ions into an orthogonal acceleration unit. The diameter of a restriction aperture (39) formed in the aperture plate (38) determines the angular spread of an exit ion beam. When voltages for making the electrostatic lens (3) function as an afocal system are set, a measurement with high mass-resolving power can be performed at a slight sacrifice of the sensitivity. When voltages for making the lens function as a non-afocal system having the highest ion-passage efficiency are set, a measurement with high sensitivity can be performed at a slight sacrifice of the resolving power.

Abstract: An electrode changeover switch which switches the connection state of electrodes is provided in the wiring path between eight electrodes through, arranged rotation-symmetrically about ion optical axis, and voltage generation switch which generates square wave high voltage ±V. When switch is switched as shown in the drawing, two circumferentially adjacent rod electrodes are connected to form one set, a square wave voltage of opposite phase is applied to circumferentially adjacent sets, and an effectively quadrupole electric field is formed. When switch is switched, a square wave voltage of opposite phase is applied to circumferentially adjacent rod electrodes and an octupole electric field is formed. In this way, by switching the switch according to the mass range, etc., it becomes possible to rapidly switch the number of poles of a multipole electric field and to suitably transport ions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body storage part, a determination part, and an initial adjustment part. The first image forming unit includes a first storage part storing first information indicative of whether or not an initial adjustment of the first image forming unit has been completed. The determination part determines whether or not the first information stored in the first storage part and the second information stored in the main body storage part satisfy respective prescribed conditions. The initial adjustment part causes the first and second image forming units to perform the initial adjustment when the first information indicates that the initial adjustment of the first image forming unit has not been completed and the second information indicates that the second image forming unit corresponds to an unused state.

Abstract: An ion trap mass spectrometer with high sensitivity for detection in the high mass-to-charge ratio is provided. with separate measurement of square-wave voltages on the positive and negative electrode sides applied to a ring electrode in rectifying circuits and smoothing the measured voltages in integrating circuits, respectively, the areas of square-wave voltages on the positive and negative electrode sides are replaced with the peak values h1 and h2 of DC signals, respectively. A comparator circuit outputs the difference of said peak values as the error signal ?, and variable delay circuits adjust the amount of delay of control signals so that the error signal ? becomes zero. This changes the relative phase relation between control signals on the positive and negative electrode sides that turn on and off the switches, and renders the duty ratio of square-wave voltages nearly 50%.

Abstract: An ion trap mass spectrometer with high sensitivity for detection in the high mass-to-charge ratio is provided. with separate measurement of square-wave voltages on the positive and negative electrode sides applied to a ring electrode in rectifying circuits and smoothing the measured voltages in integrating circuits, respectively, the areas of square-wave voltages on the positive and negative electrode sides are replaced with the peak values h1 and h2 of DC signals, respectively. A comparator circuit outputs the difference of said peak values as the error signal ?, and variable delay circuits adjust the amount of delay of control signals so that the error signal ? becomes zero. This changes the relative phase relation between control signals on the positive and negative electrode sides that turn on and off the switches, and renders the duty ratio of square-wave voltages nearly 50%.

Abstract: A technique for improving the mass-resolving power of an ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer is provided. At the final stage of a cooling process before the ejection of ions from an ion trap, the frequency of a rectangular-wave voltage applied to a ring electrode of the ion trap is increased for a few to several cycles. This operation reduces the confining potential depth of the ion trap and decelerates the captured ions. The turn-around time of the ions is shortened when the rectangular-wave voltage is halted and an accelerating electric field is created. Thus, the variation in the time of flight of the ions with the same mass-to-charge ratio is reduced. The time for increasing the frequency is determined so that a spread of the ions because of the depth reduction of the confining potential will fall within the range that can be corrected in the time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

Abstract: When ions accumulated in the exit side end of ion guide are to be injected into ion trap as packets, the application of square wave high frequency voltage to ring electrode from main voltage generating unit is stopped. Once nearly all the ions have been injected into ion trap, the application of square wave high frequency voltage from main voltage generating unit to ring electrode is momentarily started, at which time the application of square wave high frequency voltage is started from a phase in the range of 90°±40° or 270°±40°. It is thereby possible to reduce the extent of spread of ions immediately after application of high frequency voltage and to improve the ion trapping efficiency.

Abstract: A technique for performing precursor isolation with a desired mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) in a digital ion trap while maintaining the q value at a substantially constant value is provided. A data obtained by digitizing an FNF signal having a notch is stored beforehand in an FNF waveform memory 15. In the process of precursor isolation, a main voltage timing controller 7 and a main voltage generator 9 generate a rectangular-wave voltage based on a reference clock signal CK. An auxiliary signal generator 14 reads data from the FNF waveform memory 15 and generates an FNF signal by performing digital-to-analogue conversion of the data in accordance with a clock signal synchronized with the reference clock signal CK. Under the command of a controller 30, a reference clock generator 6 produces the reference clock signal CK having a frequency corresponding to the m/z value of a target ion.

Abstract: A technique for improving the mass-resolving power of an ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometer is provided. At the final stage of a cooling process before the ejection of ions from an ion trap, the frequency of a rectangular-wave voltage applied to a ring electrode of the ion trap is increased for a few to several cycles. This operation reduces the confining potential depth of the ion trap and decelerates the captured ions. The turn-around time of the ions is shortened when the rectangular-wave voltage is halted and an accelerating electric field is created. Thus, the variation in the time of flight of the ions with the same mass-to-charge ratio is reduced. The time for increasing the frequency is determined so that a spread of the ions because of the depth reduction of the confining potential will fall within the range that can be corrected in the time-of-flight mass spectrometer.

Abstract: A technique for performing precursor isolation with a desired mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) in a digital ion trap while maintaining the q value at a substantially constant value is provided. A data obtained by digitizing an FNF signal having a notch is stored beforehand in an FNF waveform memory 15. In the process of precursor isolation, a main voltage timing controller 7 and a main voltage generator 9 generate a rectangular-wave voltage based on a reference clock signal CK. An auxiliary signal generator 14 reads data from the FNF waveform memory 15 and generates an FNF signal by performing digital-to-analogue conversion of the data in accordance with a clock signal synchronized with the reference clock signal CK. Under the command of a controller 30, a reference clock generator 6 produces the reference clock signal CK having a frequency corresponding to the m/z value of a target ion.

Abstract: In performing an isolation of specific ions or performing a dissociation operation by CID, ions are captured by applying a radio-frequency high voltage to a ring electrode 31 as before. In a cooling operation which is performed immediately before target ions are ejected toward a TOFMS unit 4 with the ions stored in an ion trap 3, a radio-frequency high voltage is not applied to the ring electrode 31 but to end cap electrodes 32 and 34 to capture the ions. In this operation, the frequency thereof is set to be higher than that of the voltage applied to the ring electrode 31 and the amplitude is also increased in order to assure a large pseudopotential and keep the low mass cutoff (LMC). This narrows the spatial distribution of the cooled ions, reducing the variation of the initial positions of the ions at the point in time when they are ejected, which increases the mass resolution.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body storage part, a determination part, and an initial adjustment part. The first image forming unit includes a first storage part storing first information indicative of whether or not an initial adjustment of the first image forming unit has been completed. The determination part determines whether or not the first information stored in the first storage part and the second information stored in the main body storage part satisfy respective prescribed conditions. The initial adjustment part causes the first and second image forming units to perform the initial adjustment when the first information indicates that the initial adjustment of the first image forming unit has not been completed and the second information indicates that the second image forming unit corresponds to an unused state.

Abstract: Cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol fibers prepared from a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol, which satisfy the following requirements: (1) a water absorption in water at 30° C. ranging from 10 to 100 times the weight of the fibers; (2) a fiber diameter in water at 30° C. as a result of absorbing water ranging from 2 to 10 times the diameter of the fibers not having absorbed water; and (3) a melting point ranging from 160 to 220° C., and a heat of fusion ranging from 40 to 100 J/g.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for preventing the execution of an illicitly duplicated application program, that prevents the utilization of a duplicate produced by illicit copying, and, if the type of the recording medium that is being used is identical to the normal medium type where the application program is written, then the recording medium that is being used is a genuine product and the normal execution of the main program is conducted, but if the recording medium that is being used is an illicit copy obtained by copying on a recording medium of type different from the genuine product, the non-identity processing program is executed.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer according to the present invention includes: an ion source; a mass analyzer for analyzing ions generated by the ion source with their mass to charge ratio; an ion lens composed of platelet electrodes of an even number no less than four arranged radially and symmetrically around an ion optical axis connecting the ion source and the mass analyzer; and a voltage generator for applying a voltage composed of a DC voltage and an RF voltage to a group of alternately arranged platelet electrodes and for applying another voltage composed of the same DC voltage and another RF voltage having the same frequency and the opposite polarity to the other group of alternately arranged platelet electrodes. When ions are introduced into the ion traveling space defined by the inner surfaces of the platelet electrodes, the ions travel along the ion optical axis and converge to a rear focal point of the ion lens, while they are vibrated by the voltages applied to the platelet electrodes.

Abstract: Cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol fibers prepared from a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol, which satisfy the following requirements:

Abstract: An ion guide is installed in an intermediate chamber provided between a low vacuum chamber and a high vacuum chamber, and is located on a passage of transporting ions from the low vacuum chamber to the high vacuum chamber. The ion guide includes a plurality of plate-shape electrodes juxtaposed in a transport direction of the ions in the intermediate chamber and provided with ion passage holes around an ion beam axis, respectively; a plate-shape aperture electrode disposed as a part of partition for separating the intermediate chamber and an adjacent chamber and provided with an aperture around the ion beam axis; and high frequency power sources for applying high frequency electric voltages to the plate-shape electrodes and the aperture electrode, respectively.

Abstract: In an ion trap mass spectrometer, between an ion supply source and an ion trap, there are disposed an entrance gate electrode, an ion storing section for holding ions by accumulating them near an exit side by means of an RF voltage with an axial electric potential inclined from an entrance side to the exit side, and an exit gate electrode. When the ions are accumulated near the exit side, the exit gate electrode is opened to thereby introduce the ions in the pulse state into the ion trap. At this point, a voltage is not applied to a ring electrode of the ion trap, so that repulsion due to the voltage of the ring electrode is eliminated. Thereafter, when maximum amount of ions stay inside the ion trap, ring RF voltage is suddenly applied. Thus, the maximum amount of the ions can be introduced into the ion trap.