Mass spectrometry

This simulation represents an isotope-separation process. In the upper stage, the electric field accelerates ions of isotopes of the same element; in the lower stage, the magnetic field produces distinct trajectories, allowing the isotopes to be separated.

Separation occurs because the magnetic force on an ion (the Lorentz force) depends on its charge-to-mass ratio: at the same speed and magnetic field, heavier ions follow trajectories with a larger radius of curvature, making it possible to distinguish isotopes whose masses differ only slightly.

Marco P. M. de Souza