SMILETRAP-a wide-range high-precision mass spectrometer

The capture of externally produced highly charged ions in a Penning trap and the observation of their cyclotron frequencies is described. The ions were produced in an electron beam ion source at a 2.8 kV potential. Injection was made possible by a pretrap, in which these ions were first captured at 2.8 kV and then lowered down to ground potential which allowed transfer (at 1 kV) and capture in the measurement trap at 0 V, The first mass comparisons were made between different charge states of the same nuclei, that is, O/sup 8+//O/sup 7+/, Ar/sup 14+//Ar/sup 13+/,and Ar/sup 17+//Ar/sup 16+/. Comparison s between different nuclei, Ar/sup 13+,14+,15+,16+//H/sub 2//sup 2+/, were also made. First tests of accuracy indicates uncertainties smaller than 10/sup -8/.<
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