Methods and systems for processing mass spectra

A mass spectrometer system comprising:

• an ion source;
• an electrostatic trap mass analyzer adapted to receive and trap ions from the ion source and to generate a time-varying transient signal in response to oscillation of the ions within the electrostatic trap mass analyzer;
• and
• a computer system adapted to receive the time-varying transient signal from the electrostatic trap and comprising computer-readable instructions that are adapted to:
• generate, using a regularized inversion algorithm having one or more adjustable parameters, a first mass spectrum from the time-varying transient signal, according to a first set of values of said one or more adjustable parameters;
• generate, using the regularized inversion algorithm, one or more perturbed mass spectra from the transient signal, according to one or more respective perturbed versions of the first set of values;
• and
• identify one or more spurious peaks in the first mass spectrum by comparing the first mass spectrum with at least one of the perturbed mass spectra.

A computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions thereon that are adapted to:

• read a time-varying transient signal generated by an electrostatic trap mass analyzer in response to oscillation of ions trapped therein;
• generate, using a regularized inversion algorithm having one or more adjustable parameters, a first mass spectrum from the time-varying transient signal, according to a first set of values of said one or more adjustable parameters;
• generate, using the regularized inversion algorithm, one or more perturbed mass spectra from the transient signal, according to one or more respective perturbed versions of the first set of values;
• and
• identify one or more spurious peaks in the first mass spectrum by comparing the first mass spectrum with at least one of the perturbed mass spectra.