Resolution of a spectrometer at a given energy, mass, or wavelength divided by that energy, mass, or wavelength.
Notes: - The relative resolution of a spectrometer is the reciprocal of the resolving power of a spectrometer.
- It can be convenient to specify the relative energy resolution of an electron spectrometer, the relative mass resolution of a mass spectrometer, or the relative wavelength resolution of an optical spectrometer.
- In practice, the relative resolution of a spectrometer can be deduced using a source with an emission line of known width, usually chosen to be as narrow as possible.
- Designs of spectrometer generally maintain the resolution either to be constant throughout the spectrum or to be proportional to the energy, mass, or wavelength being scanned. For the former, the term resolution is useful, whereas, for the latter, the relative resolution or resolving power is more useful.
- The relative resolution is often expressed as a percentage.
Source:
PAC, 2020, 92, 1781. 'Glossary of methods and terms used in surface chemical analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2020)' on page 1811 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2019-0404)