Revision 4033440 of "Magnetic quadrupole" on simplewiki

{{cleanup|date=December 2011}}
Magnetic quadruples are employed in a variety of different machines and used for different purposes. 
The majority of magnetic quadruples are just a system of four bars (composed of metal) arranged parallel to each other. 

From the back and front the Magnetic Quadrupole appears to be the four points that create the corners of a square. 
Two of the bars (opposite one another) have similar positive (+) potentials and the other two bars have negative potentials (-). 

             +
           -   -
             +        (Arranged magnetic quadrupole with applied voltages with different potentials)

The applied potentials are created by running current through the four rods. Current (i) is proportional to the voltage (V) and resistance (R) by the equation V=iR

The resulting applied voltage affects affect the trajectory of ions traveling down the flight path centered between the four rods. For AC/DC voltages, only ions of a certain mass-to-charge ratio pass through the quadrupole filter and all other ions are thrown out of their original path. 
This happens because the magnetic field created from the applied voltages is not enough to maintain the ions along the path created from the magnetic quadrupole. 
Quadrupoles are used in mass spectrometers. A [[mass spectrum]] is obtained by monitoring the ions passing through the quadrupole filter as the voltages on the rods are varied. A mass spectrum is created by the detector counting the number of ions filtered out and relaying that signal to a data processing unit that converts the signals into quantitative and easily understood data.

Quadrupoles are also used in [[synchrotron]]s ( "atom smashers".) As the beam of particles being accelerated passes through the quadrupole, it becomes more narrow and focused.

[[Category:Magnetism]]