Drift tube

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-003434",
  "term": "Drift tube",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A component in certain mass spectrometry instruments, particularly ion mobility spectrometers, consisting of a chamber filled with a buffer gas through which ions travel under the influence of an electric field. Ions separate based on their size, shape, and charge-to-mass ratio as they collide with the buffer gas molecules. The time it takes for an ion to traverse the drift tube provides information about its collision cross-section.",
  "subject": "Analytical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "buffer gas"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2013, 85, 1515. 'Definitions of terms relating to mass spectrometry (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)' on page 1539 (https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-06-04-06)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/drift-tube/"
}