An electric noise component with density 1/f identified on ISEE 3

The properties of the 1/f noise detected at the terminals of ISEE 3 antennas are described and related to the solar wind parameters. The 1/f noise was observed with the radio receivers of the three-dimensional radio mapping experiment using the S and Z dipole antennas. The noise spectra contained a negative spectral index component at frequencies lower than 0.7 of the plasma frequency, and 5-10 times the predicted thermal noise for the Z antenna. S-antenna measurements of the 1/f component revealed it to be deeply spin modulated with a minimum electric field in the direction of the solar wind. Modulation increases with increasing frequency, becomes negligible when the 1/f intensity is negligible with respect to the thermal noise, and increases with solar wind velocity. The possibilities that the noise is due either to waves or currents are discussed.