Analytical method for computing the electrostatic field distribution in the reflector of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer

The method of analytical calculation of a nonlinear electrostatic mirror of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer and the numerical method of computation of a nonlinear mirror are analyzed. We present the results of simulating of the devices with nonlinear focusing mirrors, which are calculated analytically and by the numerical method, and of the device with a linear reflectron. It is concluded on the basis of the results of simulation that the proposed analytical method for calculating a nonlinear electrostatic mirror of the time-of-flight mass spectrometer is much better than the existing numerical method.