The spatiotemporal relaxation of electrons in spatially
one-dimensional plasmas acted upon by electric fields is
investigated on the basis of the space- and time-dependent
electron Boltzmann equation. The relaxation process is treated
using the two-term approximation of an expansion of the electron
velocity distribution function in Legendre polynomials. To verify
the complex Boltzmann equation approach by a completely
independent kinetic method, results for inhomogeneous column-anode
plasmas of glow discharges between plane electrodes are compared
with corresponding ones obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. The
spatiotemporal electron relaxation in argon plasmas, subjected to
a space-independent electric field and maintained by a
time-independent inflow of electrons at the cathode side of the
plasma region, is considered. Starting from steady state at a
given electric field, the relaxation process is initiated by a
pulse-like change of the electric field strength and is traced
until the spatially structured, time-independent state associated
to the changed field is reached. The behaviour of the velocity
distribution function and macroscopic quantities of the electrons
in space and time is analyzed for enlarged and reduced electric
field strengths typical of the column region of glow discharges.
In particular, the spatiotemporal reformation of plasma structures
has been found to progress in two phases, i.e., existing
structures in the distribution are driven to merge in wide plasma
region first, followed by a formation phase of new spatial
structures which are induced by the cathode-sided inflow of
electrons. The results for the macroscopic quantities and the
isotropic distribution functions obtained by Boltzmann and Monte
Carlo calculations agree very well during the spatiotemporal
transient process as well as in the new steady state finally
reached.