Mass-spectrometric study of the electron-impact-induced fragmentation of the tryptophan molecule

The formation of ion products upon single and dissociative electron-impact ionization of the tryptophan (C$_{11}$H$_{12}$N$_2$O$_2$) molecule has been studied using mass-spectrometric techniques. The mass-spectrum of tryptophan has been obtained and interpreted, and the near-threshold ion yields from the initial molecule and the main products of its electron-impact ionization have been measured. The absolute values of ionization energy of the initial tryptophan molecule and the appearance potentials of its main fragment ions have been determined. The influence of exposure to a high-energy beam of accelerated electrons on the resulting mass spectra of initial molecule has been studied.