Precise atomic mass measurements by deflection mass spectrometry

Since its inception nearly 90 years ago by J.J. Thomson, the precise determination of atomic masses by the classical technique of deflecting charged particles in electric and magnetic fields has provided a large body of data on naturally occurring nuclides. Currently, such measurements on stable nuclides have frequently achieved a precision of better than two parts in 109 of the mass. A review of the technique, together with a brief summary of the important historical developments in the field of precise atomic mass measurements, will be given. The more recent contributions to this field by the deflection mass spectrometer at the University of Manitoba will be provided as illustrations of the culmination of the techniques used and the applications that have been studied. A brief comparison between this and newer techniques using Penning traps will be presented