Abstract
The Small-Deflection Energy Analyzer (SDEA), a new type of parallel plate analyzer of high sensitivity and resolution, enables CubeSat applications for new ionosphere-thermosphere investigations. SDEA's data of angle-energy distributions yield the thermosphere-ionosphere parameters of neutral wind and ion-drift vectors with corresponding temperatures and densities. Less than 4 cm in total length and 2 cm on the side, SDEA is used in the wind-temperature and ion-drift temperature spectrometers pair to provide two of the three instrument functions in the Wind-Ion-Neutral-Composition Suite now operating in three satellites in a low-Earth orbit. The small-deflection feature of SDEA allows miniaturization with several advantages discussed within. A description of SDEA is followed by examples of laboratory and a limited amount of flight data taken in low-Earth-orbit to demonstrate precision possible with SDEA. Strengths and weaknesses are discussed.
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