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6.2 Origin of Molecular Ion Decomposition Reactions

Given a particular set of instrumental conditions (ionization mechanism, ionization energy, ion source temperature, instrument type, analyzer geometry, etc), molecules ionize and decompose in specific, reproducible ways. It could be said that the mass spectrum at a given set of conditions is a physical property of the molecule. This section outlines some of the basic foundations of molecular ion generation and decomposition.



Subsections

John S. Riley, DSB Scientific Consulting