6. Glossary

Mass spectrometer resolution

Resolution required to separate two neighbouring X and Y elements.

uma

Unit of atomic mass. Experimentally obtained value not belonging to the International System (SI). Equivalent to 1.6605 × 10 ^–27 kg or 1/12 of the mass of a ¹² C atom.

Mass spectrometer sensitivity

An analyzer's ability to measure the largest electrical signal for a given quantity of gas. For mass spectrometers, this can be expressed in Amperes (measurement of ions emitted by the analyzer source) per unit of pressure (Pascal, Torr...).