In this contribution we present the design and first measurement results obtained with a new high-performance laser ablation and ionisation (LIMS) mass spectrometer for solid sample analysis named “LMS-GT”, combining high mass- and high spatial resolving powers. The instrument consists of a fs-laser ablation ion source coupled to a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer that provides measurements with a mass resolution (m/Δm) of 10 000 at full width half max and more over a wide mass range. This resolution enables the separation of the most important isobaric interferences between clusters, molecules and multiple charged ions. Thereby it enables significant improvements of the quantitative analysis of complex samples with the LIMS-TOF technique. The instrument performance is demonstrated by analysis of measurements conducted on various NIST standard reference materials (SRMs). Using these samples we determined detection limits in the ppm range and below, and relative sensitivity coefficients (RSCs), in the range between 0.1 and 10.

We introduce electronics designed to control measurement cycles performed with the compact neutral gas mass spectrometer (NGMS), which is a time-of-flight (TOF) system. NGMS is combined with a gas chromatograph (GC) and a pyrolysis oven to form a gas analytic complex on board the Russian Luna-Resurs spacecraft to land on the Moon. The instrument will investigate chemical composition of the soils at lunar polar regions and the tenuous lunar exosphere. NGMS measures the elemental, isotopic and molecular composition of gaseous samples including CHON compounds, water and noble gases, by recording TOF spectra that are converted to mass spectra during data analysis. Our miniature mass spectrometer has a robust and modular design. It combines an ion storage source with redundant thermionic electron emitters, a pulsed ion extraction for ion acceleration, ion drift path, ion mirror, a second ion drift path, and a high-speed microchannel plate detector. Starting from the ion source where species are ionized and the consecutive mass separation in the field free regions of a TOF section, ion packages arrive some microseconds later at the multichannel ion detector. The detector produces current pulses with peak widths of nanoseconds allowing for measurements with a high mass resolution in spite of a short drift tube length. During test measurements, we achieved mass resolution > 1000 together with a dynamic range of up to 10 ⁶ within 1 second integration time. Hence, the instrument depends on high electric field strengths in the ion-optical system and a high-speed and low-noise data acquisition system resulting in highly customized control electronics. We developed the complete electronic system complying with the mission requirements (power consumption of 25 watt maximum, size, mass and radiation tolerance) for controlling the instrument operation and acquiring data from this complex analytical package. Given the heritage from LASMA/Phobos-Grunt, CaSSIS/Exo-Mars, RTOF/Rosetta and P-BACE/MEAP missions, the presented design demonstrates that NGMS is capable to investigate chemical composition with allocated resources of power and size. Our flight-proven control unit operating NGMS represents a reliable system for further similar applications as the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass spectrometer NIM/PEP on board ESA's JUICE mission.

Titanium (Ti)-coated multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) emitters based on the magnetron sputtering process are demonstrated, and the influences of modification to CNTs on the residual gas adsorption, gas desorption, and their field emission characteristic are discussed. Experimental results show that Ti nanoparticles are easily adsorbed on the surface of CNTs due to the “defects” produced by Ar⁺ irradiation pretreatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization showed that Ti nanoparticles contribute to the adsorption of ambient molecules by changing the chemical bonding between C, Ti, and O. Field emission of CNTs coated with Ti nanoparticles agree well with the Fowler–Nordheim theory. The deviation of emission current under constant voltage is 6.3% and 8.6% for Ti-CNTs and pristine CNTs, respectively. The mass spectrometry analysis illustrated that Ti-coated CNTs have a better adsorption capacity at room temperature, as well as a lower outgassing effect than pristine CNTs after degassing in the process of field emission.

Spacecraft flybys provide access to the chemical composition of the gaseous envelope of the planetary object. Typical relative encounter velocities range from km/s to tens of km/s in flybys. For speeds exceeding about 5 km/s, modern mass spectrometers analyzing the rapidly encountering gas suffer from intrinsic hypervelocity impact-induced fragmentation processes causing ambiguous results when analyzing complex molecules. In this case, instruments use an antechamber, inside which the incoming species collide many times with the chamber wall. These collisions cause the desired deceleration and thermalization of the gas molecules. However, these collisions also dissociate molecular bonds, thus fragmenting the molecules, and possibly forming new ones precluding scientists from inferring the actual chemical composition of the sampled gas. We developed a novel time-of-flight mass spectrometer that handles relative encounter velocities of up to 20 km/s omitting an antechamber and its related fragmentation. It analyzes the complete mass range of m/z 1 to 1000 at an instance. This innovation leads to unambiguous analysis of complex (organic) molecules. Applied to Enceladus, Europa or Io, it will provide reliable chemical composition datasets for exploration of the Solar System to determine its status, origin and evolution.

We have measured ⁸⁷Rb–⁸⁷Sr isochron ages for two granites, using the breadboard version of our Chemistry, Organics, and Dating EXperiment (CODEX), a laser-ablation resonance-ionization mass spectrometer designed for in situ geochronology on the Moon or Mars. These measurements extend the demonstrated analytical capabilities of CODEX, and indicate the value of incorporating a flight-ready version of CODEX, now under construction, into a future mission payload. We used CODEX to obtain accurate ages for the 1700 Ma Boulder Creek Granite, with 1σ statistical precision of 110 Myr, and for the 1100 Ma Pikes Peak Granite, with 1σ statistical precision of 160 Myr. To provide an end-to-end illustration of how CODEX analysis of granites can address critical lunar science questions regarding rock age and composition in situ, we describe an example mission to the lunar Gruithuisen Domes. Gruithuisen Domes appear to be volcanic edifices of granitic composition. Orbital remote sensing suggests that granitic rocks represent only a small fraction of the lunar surface, and the mere fact of their existence on the Moon is a puzzle. CODEX determination of the timing and process of their formation, both presently ill-understood, would provide important constraints on the thermal and geochemical evolution of the lunar interior.

On 14 April 2023, the JUICE spacecraft was launched to the Jovian system to study the emergence of potentially habitable worlds around gas giants. The Neutral-Ion Mass Spectrometer (NIM), developed by the University of Bern, will characterise the atmospheres of the Galilean moons and analyse subsurface material ejected by Europa’s plumes. NIM uses a power-efficient hot cathode filament which creates an electron beam to ionize atoms and molecules for mass spectrometric analysis.For this mission, we employ customized yttrium oxide (Y2O3) cathodes produced by Kimball Physics, based on the ES-525 design. For example the filament legs are lengthened to minimize heat loss through conduction. Additionally, a thicker coating is applied to enhance longevity. Given the criticality of correct cathode operation, two cold-redundant cathodes are installed in the NIM instrument.This study compares the performance of the space-qualified cathodes in the Proto Flight Model (PFM) instrument, post-launch (in orbit) commissioning, with both expected performance metrics and laboratory-tested cathodes in the Flight Spare (FS) instrument.During commissioning, the PFM cathodes underwent conditioning lasting several hours. While both cathodes were successfully conditioned, cathode 2 exhibited performance comparable to FS cathodes, whereas cathode 1 deviated from the pre-flight performance. This deviation was further investigated through additional investigations and tests. Preliminary findings suggest that launch-induced vibrations caused slight bending of the cathode legs, resulting in asymmetry between the emitting disk and the surrounding repeller electrode.The cathodes operate within a nominal emission range of 100 to 300 μA. Without active beam shaping, power consumption varies between 1.2 and 1.6 W (up to 1.8 W for the deviating PFM cathode 1) with a current draw of 860 to 980 mA (up to 1030 mA). Optimal beam shaping increases the current requirement by approximately 20 mA. Despite limited available data, we successfully fit our measurements to the Richardson-Dushman equation, describing the relation between operation parameters and emission current, enabling a comparison with theoretical emission expectations.The heating current drawn by the cathode is expected to increase over the long term (up to a lifetime of 10 000 operational hours) due to degradation of the coating. In contrast, short-term behaviour (up to 100 hours) reveals a "learning" effect: cathodes exhibit improved performance when used under specific active beam-shaping configurations, an effect disrupted after exposure to air.During the post-launch commissioning of the cathodes in orbit, the LV subsystem was commissioned as well. The commissioning, including the cathodes, bake-out heater, low-voltage electrodes, as well as the necessary electronics was successful. Long-term monitoring of the cathodes' performance in both laboratory and space environments continues.