Tandem mass spectrometer and tandem mass spectrometry method

Abstract

The invention relates to a tandem mass spectrometer comprising an ionisation source (1) that can produce ions; a mass analyser comprising an ion trap (2) arranged in such a way as to receive ions from the ion source and detection means that can detect ions leaving the ion trap according to the mass m to load z (m/z) ratio thereof; ion activation means for activating ions that can fragment at least some of the ions trapped in the ion trap; and coupling means arranged between the ion trap and said ion activation means. According to the invention, the ion activation means consist of a glow discharge lamp (4) that can generate a light beam oriented towards the ion trap (2), said light beam being electromagnetic radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength range with photon energies of between 8 eV and 41 eV in such a way as to fragment at least some of the ions trapped in the ion trap (2).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.