Peak asymmetry and resolution
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:31 pm
by annaand
I have a problem with finding a good equation for resolution of peaks which are asymmetric. A resolution (that most textbook give) usually calculated from baseline widths or half-height-widths of the peaks should be used for gaussian ones. What about asymmetric peaks? Can somebody give me reference how to calculated it?
Thank you in advance,
Anna
Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:58 pm
by Uwe Neue
A better method for such a case, as well as for any case where the peak heights are significantly different, is the calculation of the "discrimination factor", first suggested by El Fallah and Martin. It is the ratio of the difference in height of the smaller peak Hp and the height of the valley Hv to the height of the smaller peak:
D = (Hp-Hv)/Hp
It is 1, if the peaks are completely resolved, and becomes 0, when the small peak disappears in the large peak. For your purposes, this criterion will nicely reflect the situation when a small peak rides on the tail of a larger one.