Two-dimensional partial covariance mass spectrometry of large molecules based on fragment correlations
File(s)PhysRevX.10.041004.pdf (3.23 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Covariance mapping [L. J. Frasinski, K. Codling, and P. A. Hatherly, Science 246, 1029 (1989)] is a well-established technique used for the study of mechanisms of laser-induced molecular ionization and decomposition. It measures statistical correlations between fluctuating signals of pairs of detected species (ions, fragments, electrons). A positive correlation identifies pairs of products originating from the same dissociation or ionization event. A major challenge for covariance-mapping spectroscopy is accessing decompositions of large polyatomic molecules, where true physical correlations are overwhelmed by spurious signals of no physical significance induced by fluctuations in experimental parameters. As a result, successful applications of covariance mapping have so far been restricted to low-mass systems, e.g., organic molecules of around 50 daltons (Da). Partial-covariance mapping was suggested to tackle the problem of spurious correlations by taking into account the independently measured fluctuations in the experimental conditions. However, its potential has never been realized for the decomposition of large molecules, because in these complex situations, determining and continuously monitoring multiple experimental parameters affecting all the measured signals simultaneously becomes unfeasible. We introduce, through deriving theoretically and confirming experimentally, a conceptually new type of partial-covariance mapping—self-correcting partial-covariance spectroscopy—based on a parameter extracted from the measured spectrum itself. We use the readily available total ion count as the self-correcting partial-covariance parameter, thus eliminating the challenge of determining experimental parameter fluctuations in covariance measurements of large complex systems. The introduced self-correcting partial covariance enables us to successfully resolve correlations of molecules as large as
Date Issued
2020-10-06
Date Acceptance
2020-07-28
Citation
Physical Review X, 2020, 10, pp.041004 – 1-041004 – 13
ISSN
2160-3308
Publisher
American Physical Society
Start Page
041004 – 1
End Page
041004 – 13
Journal / Book Title
Physical Review X
Volume
10
Copyright Statement
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
EPSRC/DSTL
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Wellcome Trust
Identifier
https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.10.041004
Grant Number
EP/I032517/1
EPSRC/DSTL MURI grant EP/N018680/1.
EP/N018680/1
100093/Z/12/Z
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Physics
DISSOCIATION
PEPTIDE
IONIZATION
IONS
PROTEOMICS
SPECTRA
Chemistry, Analytic
Mass Spectrometry
Chemical Physics
Analytical Chemistry
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences
0204 Condensed Matter Physics
0206 Quantum Physics
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-10-06