Anomalously fast equilibration of the electron distribution function to a Maxwellian in gas-discharge plasmas with low temperature and pressure, i.e., Langmuir’s paradox, may be explained by electron scattering via an instability-enhanced collective response and hence fluctuations arising from convective ion-acoustic instabilities near the discharge boundaries.

• Received 5 April 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.245005