Coupled gyrators: a paradigm for space-charge effects in cyclotron mass spectrometry

Space-charge effects are a known limitation to the accuracy and precision of an entire family of mass spectrometers. We propose a new model for the study of space-charge effects in which charged ion clouds each containing ions of a particular species interact as coupled gyrators. This model predicts a range of phenomena with implications for mass spectrometry including resonant energy exchange, synchronization, modulation, and chaotic motion