Instrument, including an electrostatic linear ion trap, for analyzing ions

An instrument for analyzing ions, comprising:

• at least one separation instrument fluidly coupled to a sample solution and configured to produce a flow of the sample solution in which molecules in the sample solution are separated as a function of at least one molecular characteristic,
• an ion source configured to generate ions from the flow of the sample solution exiting the at least one separation instrument,
• an electrostatic linear ion trap (ELIT) configured to receive and trap at least one of the generated ions therein, the ELIT including first and second ion mirrors and a charge detection cylinder positioned between the first and second ion mirrors, and
• at least one voltage source coupled to the first and second ion mirrors, the at least one voltage source configured to establish electric fields in each of the first and second ion mirrors to reflect the trapped at least one ion entering a respective one of the first and second ion mirrors from the charge detection cylinder back through the charge detection cylinder and toward the other of the first and ion mirrors such the trapped at least one ion oscillates back and forth through the charge detection cylinder between the first and second ion mirrors with a duty cycle, corresponding to a ratio of time spent by the trapped at least one ion traversing the charge detection cylinder and total time spent by the trapped at least one ion traversing a combination of the first and second ion mirrors and the charge detection cylinder during one complete oscillation cycle, of approximately 50%.