THE POSITION OF THE RF SPARK WITH RESPECT TO THE ENTRANCE SLIT IN SPARK SOURCE MASS SPECTROMETRY IS DISCUSSED.
THIS POSITION AFFECTS RESOLUTION, LINE INTENSITY, AND RELATIVE SENSITIVITY. LINES ARE SHOWN QUANTITATIVELY TO BE SHARPER AT LONGER SPARK TO SLIT DISTANCES. LINE INTENSITIES VARY WITH THIS PARAMETER. RELATIVE SENSITIVITY FACTORS IN COPPER, ALUMINUM, AND STEEL MATRICES ARE DEPENDENT UPON SPARK POSITION. ION PROFILES AS A FUNCTION OF THE Y-DEFLECTOR VOLTAGE ARE SHOWN FOR +1 THROUGH +5 IONS OF COPPER.