What is FT-ICR?
The name stands for Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance. Mass spectrometrists have an affinity for abbreviations, which I guess is normal if you have to deal with such long names. Q: Cyclo…what? A: Cyclotron motion means that an ion is going round in circles. Cyclotron motion occurs when an ion is present in a magnetic field (defined say in the z direction) and the ion’s velocity has an x or y direction velocity component. This means that if ions were to merely move in the z direction (same direction of the magnetic field), they would NOT cyclotron. If an ion in this system has a ‘z’ and an ‘x’ and/or ‘y’ velocity, its motion will be that of a spiral. This is the motion that the ions describe in an FT-ICR cell.
