Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Kinetic equations of the Vlasov type play a dominant role in the theories of gaseous and semiconductor plasmas (self‐consistent field approximation), in the dynamics of quantum systems with collective interactions (Hartree‐Fock approximation), also of spin systems Weiss molecular field approximation, in the theory of liquids and in astrophysics. Here a new general exact method of solving the linearized Vlasov equation is given in the language of classical plasma theory. This method is based on a series expansion of the distribution function in terms of Hermite polynomials in velocity space. A partial differential equation for the generating function of the time‐dependent expansion coefficients is derived and solved yielding a closed formula for the general term of the series expansion. Thus the problem of solving the kinetic integro‐differential equation is reduced to the more tractable problem of solving a single differential equation, and the mathematical structure of the series expansion becomes very clear. The full equivalence of the solution given with the solution of van Kampen und Case in terms of singular normal modes can be demonstrated.</jats:p>