Modeling of ion motion and experimental investigations of ion excitation in a linear quadrupole trap with a 4% added octopole field are described. The results are compared with those obtained with a conventional round rod set. Motion in the effective potential of the rod set can explain many of the observed phenomena. The frequencies of ion oscillation in the x and y directions shift with amplitude in opposite directions as the amplitudes of oscillation increase. Excitation profiles for ion fragmentation become asymmetric and in some cases show bistable behavior where the amplitude of oscillation suddenly jumps between high and low values with very small changes in excitation frequency. Experiments show these effects. Ions are injected into a linear trap, stored, isolated, excited for MS/MS, and then mass analyzed in a time-of-flight mass analyzer. Frequency shifts between the x and y motions are observed, and in some cases asymmetric excitation profiles and bistable behavior are observed. Higher MS/MS efficiencies are expected when an octopole field is added. MS/MS efficiencies (N(2) collision gas) have been measured for a conventional quadrupole rod set and a linear ion trap with a 4% added octopole field. Efficiencies are chemical compound dependent, but when an octopole field is added, efficiencies can be substantially higher than with a conventional rod set, particularly at pressures of 1.4 x 10(-4) torr or less.