Use of the filter diagonalization method in the study of space charge related frequency modulation in fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

The filter diagonalization method (FDM) is a recently developed computational technique capable of extracting resonance frequencies and amplitudes from very short transient signals. Although it requires stable resonance frequencies and is slower than the fast Fourier transform (FFT), FDM has a resolution and accuracy that is unmatched by the FFT or any other comparable techniques. This unique feature of FDM makes it an ideal tool for tracing space charge induced frequency modulations in Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) cells, which are shown to reach +/-400 ppm even for such simple spectra as Substance P.