Necessary conditions for peak resolution in an ion mobility increment spectrometer with a flat drift chamber

New analytical characteristics are proposed to describe the performance of an ion mobility increment spectrometer (IMIS). The dispersion describes the ability of such a spectrometer to separate ions with close values of the variable component of mobility. The necessary resolution limit with respect to this component characterizes the ability to separately detect different ion species. In accordance with the principle of ion separation in this instrument, it is suggested to redefine the resolving power of IMIS as the inverse of the necessary resolution limit with respect to the variable component of mobility.