Metastable ion
From MS Terms
DRAFT DEFINITION |
Metastable ion |
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An ion that is formed with internal energy higher than the threshold for dissociation but with a lifetime great enough to allow it to exit the ion source and enter the mass spectrometer where it dissociates before detection. |
Considered between 2004 and 2006 but not included in the 2006 PAC submission |
This is an unofficial draft definition presented for information and comment. |
See additional comments on the Metastable ion discussion page (archive of discussion between 2004 and 2006) |
Orange Book Entry
An ion which is formed with sufficient excitation to dissociate spontaneously during its flight from the ion source to the detector.