A low thermal mass fast gas chromatograph and its implementation in fast gas chromatography mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams.

A new type of low thermal mass (LTM) fast gas chromatograph (GC) was designed and operated in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with supersonic molecular beams (SMB), including GC-MS-MS with SMB, thereby providing a novel combination with unique capabilities. The LTM fast GC is based on a short capillary column inserted inside a stainless steel tube that is resistively heated. It is located and mounted outside the standard GC oven on its available top detector port, while the capillary column is connected as usual to the standard GC injector and supersonic molecular beam interface transfer line.