New mini tool has massive implicationsCompact mass spectrometer more conducive to applications for s

New mini tool has massive implications

Compact mass spectrometer more conducive to applications for space exploration, homeland security, and more

Brigham Young University researchers have created a miniaturized, portable version of a tool now capable of analyzing Mars’ atmosphere – and that’s just one of its myriad possible uses.

For decades mass spectrometers have offered a relatively fast and highly sensitive way to analyze and detect chemical compounds. But their bulky size has been a hindrance, limiting their in-field potential.

But after spending 12 years exploring the problem, BYU chemistry professor Daniel Austin, joined by electrical engineering professor Aaron Hawkins and other colleagues, has developed a much smaller spectrometer that still has the capabilities of its larger counterparts.

“The goal was to take what would otherwise be a huge, benchtop instrument to something that’s small enough to carry with you,” said Austin, whose team’s findings were recently published in the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

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