Possible Sources of Large Error in Determinations of Ion–Molecule Reaction Rates with Drift Tube–Mass Spectrometers

Abstract

Drift tube–mass spectrometers are now used extensively to measure the rate coefficients of ion–molecule reactions. The accuracy which can be obtained in favorable cases is about 10%, but if careful attention is not paid to a number of factors, very large errors can result. The purpose of this paper is to call attention to this fact, which seems not to be widely known, and to enumerate the factors which can lead to these large errors.