Selected ice nanoparticle accelerator hypervelocity impact mass spectrometer (SELINA-HIMS): features and impacts of charged particles

Abstract

The selected ice nanoparticle accelerator, SELINA, was used to prepare beams of single ice particles with positive or negative charge. Positively charged particles were prepared from deionized water and 0.05–0.2 molar solutions of sodium chloride in water, and negatively charged ice particles were generated from water without salt. Depending on the electrospray source configuration, the measured particles vary from 50 to 1000 nm in diameter. The kinetic energy per charge for all particles was set to 200 eV by the collisional equilibration in quadrupoles, which resulted in primary velocities up to 600 m/s for the lowest m/z particles. The electrospray ionization and thus particle formation from SELINA become less efficient with increasing salt concentration, resulting in a lower detected particle frequency and size. Good instrument operation is achievable for concentrations below 0.2 M. After we have verified and characterized positively and negatively charged ice particles, we have combined SELINA with a target and time-of-flight spectrometer for a ‘proof-of-principle’ post acceleration of 120 nm particles towards hypervelocity ( v ~ 3000 m/s) and detection of fragments from the particle impact (SELINA-HIMS). General conditions are discussed for the acceleration of particles between 50 and 1000 nm to velocities well above 3000 m/s with SELINA-HIMS instrument. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Dust in the Solar System and beyond’.

Exploring the universe through dusty visions

“…The last two papers concern laboratory simulations that aim to address questions related to icy dust grains ejected from subsurface ocean-bearing icy moons in the solar system. The seventh paper by Spesyvyi et al [24] describes the development of an accelerator to simulate the flow of submicron-sized water ice particles, named the SElected Ice Nanoparticle Accel-erator (SELINA). This work is critical for spaceborne impact ionization mass spectrometers that explore the habitability of subsurface oceans on icy moons in the outer solar system.…”