SMILETRAP - A WIDE-RANGE HIGH-PRECISION MASS-SPECTROMETER

The capture of externally produced highly charged ions in a Penning tr ap and the observation of their cyclotron frequencies is described. Th e ions were produced in an electron beam ion source at a 2.8 kV potent ial. Injection was made possible by a pretrap, in which these ions wer e first captured at 2.8 kV and then lowered down to ground potential w hich allowed transfer (at 1 kV) and capture in the measurement trap at 0 V. The first mass comparisons were made between different charge st ates of the same nuclei, that is, O8+/O7+, Ar14+/Ar13+ and Ar17+/Ar16. Comparison s between different nuclei, Ar-13+,Ar-14+,Ar-15+,Ar-16+/H -2(2+), were also made. First tests of accuracy indicates uncertaintie s smaller than 10(-8).