Patent ID: 8797041

Claim:
A discharge ionization current detector comprising: a discharge generation means for generating plasma from a predetermined gas by electric discharge, including a pair of electrodes with at least one surface covered with a dielectric material and a voltage application means for applying a low-frequency AC voltage to the electrodes; a current detection means for detecting an ion current originating from a gas-phase sample component ionized by an action of the generated plasma; an emission timing detection means for detecting a timing of a plasma emission intermittently generated due to the electric discharge by the discharge generation means; and a signal extraction means for acquiring a signal corresponding to the ion current detected by the current detection means, for a time period from a substantive generation of the plasma emission to a time point which is set after a lapse of a predetermined time period from a termination of the plasma emission, the predetermined time period being determined by taking a lifetime of ions into account, based on the detection result by the emission timing detection means.