The Polarization Response Function and the Dielectric Permittivity of a Plasma

We give a simple direct derivation of the polarization response function h for linear electrostatic excitations of a plasma (without magnetic field) considering the effect of a percussion on the electrons. The physical meaning of the procedure is discussed, thus bringing into light basic facts of the plasma dielectric behavior. The result h = ωp2f0(x/t) (where f0 is the electron distribution function in velocity space and ωp the plasma frequency) is obtained without passing through the Vlasov-Poisson equations as in the standard theory. We show that the equivalence between the present method and the classic Landau analysis rests on properties of the Fourier transform applied on velocity space.