Calculation of the Ion Optical Properties of Inhomogeneous Magnetic Sector Fields, including the Second Order Aberrations in the Median Plane

Investigation is made of the ion optical properties of inhomogeneous magnetic sector fields. In first order approximation the field is assumed to vary proportional to r^—n (0 ≦ n < 1); the term in the magnetic field expansion which determines the second order aberrations is chosen independent of n, which makes the elimination possible of e. g. the second order angular aberration. From the EULER— LAGRANGE equations the second order approximation of the ion trajectories in the median plane and the first order approximation outside the median plane are derived for the case of normal incidence and exit of the central path in the sector field. An equation is presented giving the shape of the pole faces required to produce the desired field. The influence of stray fields is neglected. The object ana image distances are derived, as well as the mass dispersion, the angular, lateral and axial magnification, the resolving power, and the inclination of the plane of focus of the mass spectrum. The maximum transmitted angle in the z-direction is calculated. The resolving power proves to be proportional to (1—n) ^-1 whereas the length of the central path is proportional to (1—n) ^-½. An actual example is given of a 180° sector field with n=0.91, where the mass resolving power is increased by a factor 11 as compared with a homogeneous sector field of the same radius and slit widths.