Measurement method in which a mass spectrometer is used to measure the ratio of mass to charge and the abundance of ionized entities emitted from a sample in air as a result of the bombardment by a focused plasma.
Notes: - The energy of the plasma ions is very low.
- The beam atoms usually used are helium, nitrogen, air, or argon.
- Both positive and negative ions are observed, although the mechanism for positive ions can be through protonation involving water molecules and the process for negative ions through Penning ionization.
See also: direct analysis in real time
Source:
PAC, 2020, 92, 1781. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in surface chemical analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2020)' on page 1788 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0404)