An apparatus fortime-of-flight, TOF,
tandem mass spectrometry comprises an
ion source for providing precursor ions, a linear
ion trap comprising a set of electrodes configured for receiving the precursor ions into the
ion trap. A
voltage source is configured for applying to the set of electrodes a
trapping voltage(s) configured to generate an axial
trapping potential field forming a potential barrier to axially trap the received precursor ions within the linear
ion trap, and for applying to the set of electrodes an RF
voltage(s) configured to generate a radial
trapping potential field to radially trap received precursor ions. The
voltage source selectively changes the radial trapping
potential field to increase the
kinetic energy of precursor ions in the
ion trapping region so that precursor ions can overcome the potential barrier thereby axially ejecting the selected precursor ions from the linear
ion trap. A collision
cell is configured to receive the ejected precursor ions and to apply to them a process of collision-induced dissociation to generate product ions therefrom. A
mass analyser, such as a time-of-flight, TOF,
mass analyser, receives the product ions (and / or any remaining unfragmented precursor ions) and to apply to them a process of
mass analysis.