Ion detection

1. A mass analyzer, comprising:

an electrostatic field generator, arranged to provide an electrostatic field causing ion packets to oscillate along a longitudinal direction with a period;

a pulse detection electrode arrangement, configured to detect a pulse transient signal over a time duration that is significantly shorter than the period of the ion packet oscillation, wherein the pulse detection electrode arrangement comprises a conversion electrode mounted interior to the mass analyzer, a first pulse detection electrode, and a second pulse detection electrode, the electrostatic field being configured such that ion packets hit the conversion electrode, causing secondary particles to be emitted and an external detection electrode arrangement mounted exterior to the mass analyzer and located to detect the secondary particles from the conversion electrode;

a pulse differential amplifier, arranged to provide the pulse transient signal based on the difference between a detection signal generated in the first pulse detection electrode and a detection signal generated in the second pulse detection electrode; and

a processor, configured to identify ion intensity with respect to mass-to-charge ratio, based on the pulse transient signal.

2. The mass analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the external detection electrode arrangement comprises a secondary particle multiplier.

3. The mass analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the external detection electrode arrangement comprises:

a grid electrode mounted exterior to the mass analyzer and located to receive the secondary particles from the conversion electrode;

a dynode, arranged to receive secondary electrons from the grid electrode; and

microchannel plates, arranged to detect secondary electrons received from the dynode.

4. The mass analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to identify ion intensity with respect to mass-to-charge ratio by processing of the pulse transient signal using at least one of: auto-correlation; linear prediction; filter diagonalization method; any other harmonic inversion method; and wavelet transformation.

5. The mass analyzer of claim 1 , further comprising: an outer electrode coaxial with at least an inner electrode, the electrostatic field generator arranged to provide the electrostatic field between the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

6. The mass analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the conversion electrode is spatially separated from the inner electrode and the outer electrode.

7. A method of ion detection for a mass analyzer in which ions are caused to form ion packets that oscillate along a longitudinal direction with a period, the method comprising:

detecting a first pulse transient signal over a time duration that is significantly shorter than the period of the ion packet oscillation by causing ion packets to hit a conversion electrode mounted interior to the mass analyzer, so that secondary particles are emitted and detecting the secondary particles exterior to the mass analyzer;

using a pulse differential amplifier to provide a second pulse transient signal based on the difference between a detection signal generated in a first pulse detection electrode and a detection signal generated in a second pulse detection electrode; and

identifying ion intensity with respect to mass-to-charge ratio, based on the first pulse transient signal and the second pulse transient signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of identifying ion intensity with respect to mass-to-charge ratio comprises processing the pulse transient signal using at least one of: auto-correlation; linear prediction; filter diagonalization method; and wavelet transformation.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the mass analyzer further comprises: an outer electrode coaxial with an inner electrode, the ion packets being caused to oscillate by an electrostatic field between the outer electrode and the inner electrode.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the secondary particles exterior to the mass analyzer includes amplifying the secondary particles using a secondary particles multiplier.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the secondary particles exterior to the mass analyzer includes:

receiving the secondary particles from the conversion electrode at a grid electrode mounted exterior to the mass analyzer;

receiving secondary electrons from the grid electrode at a dynode; and

detecting secondary electrons received from the dynode at microchannel plates.