Detection and measurement of delay in the yield of negative ions from the ionization chamber of a mass spectrometer

The times of extraction of negative ions from the ionization chamber of a mass spectrometer have been measured. The obtained values amount to several dozen microseconds or above–that is, significantly exceed the time of free ion escape from the chamber. It is established that ions are retained in the ionization chamber because of their adsorption on the inner surface. This leads to distortion of the experimentally measured lifetimes of negative ions that become unstable with respect to autodetachment of the excess electron.