Abstract
A mass spectrometer based on quadrupole fields was independently described by two investigators about 50 years ago.  The path from this description to the use of 10’s of thousands of these devices has many interesting anecdotes.  Much of this development took place in the Bay Area in two companies; HP now Agilent and Finnigan now Thermo.  The history of Finnigan from residual gas analyzers to quadrupole mass spectrometers will be given through the eyes of one of its participants.

Background
Michael Story received a BS degree in Chemistry from the University of California in 1959.  For five years he investigated various material and process problems associated with building microwave tubes at Litton Industries in San Carlos.  In 1964 he joined Bob Finnigan at Electronics Associates Inc., a maker of analog computers, to commercialize quadrupole residual gas analyzers.  In 1967 he, Bob, Bill Fies and several backers and $100,000 formed Finnigan Instrument Corporation in Palo Alto.  He spent the next 33 years in various design and management roles in the US, Germany, UK and Japan.
 

Meeting details

Date:	Wednesday	October 20, 2004
Time:	6:00 pm	Social hour, registration (no-host cocktails)
	7:00 pm	Dinner
	8:00 pm	Lecture
Dinner:	Buffet featuring:	Breast of chicken topped with champagne sauce
		Roasted slice New York strip with Cabernet mushroom sauce
		Poached King Salmon with dill caper butter
	includes	various side dishes & dessert
Cost:	$25.00	BAMS members.  Reservations required by noon on Monday October 18,2004
	$35.00	Non-members.  Reservations required by noon on Monday October 18,2004
	$15.00	Students only.  Reservations required by noon on Monday October 18,2004

Note: 2004 dues need to be paid to obtain member price.  Dues ($20) may be paid while registering for dinner.

Maps & directions
Sheraton San Jose
1801 Barber Lane
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 943-0600
Yahoo map

As a service to our members, we post Employment postings.

As a trial service to our members, we are now posting Situations Wanted.  (Note: BAMS isn't a career center and will only post brief positions wanted for BAMS members only).

The San Francisco Bay Area Mass Spectrometry discussion group was formed in 1980 to provide a regular gathering for people interested in mass spectrometry and allied topics. BAMS currently has a membership of about 280 individual and 20 corporate members, and meets 8-10 times per year for a midweek dinner and lecture.  Meetings attract between 30 and 90 people, and are held at a restaurant or hotel in the bay area convenient for our speaker.  We usually convene at 6:00 pm for cocktails, dinner at 7:00 pm, and lecture at 8:15 pm.

If you have suggestions for a meeting topic, or know of a prominent mass spectrometrist who will be visiting the bay area, please contact our program chair.

To become a member, please fill out and mail in a membership form.
BAMS has been fortunate to have had many excellent speakers in our short history.
If you have suggestions for a meeting topic please contact our program chair.
If you have questions or comments about BAMS, please contact one of the BAMS officers.
Please thank our corporate sponsors who help keep BAMS membership and dinner costs low.
Here are some internet links that may be of interest to BAMS members.
 

If you have comments or suggestions for this web site, please email me at hugh-gregg@llnl.gov

Last update: 10/8/2004