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Set $\kappa =|k|$ and first work with a representative positive $k=\kappa$. For $\kappa {\lambda }_{\mathrm{De}}\ll 1$, the thermal core is strongly screened. However, the causal dielectric function has weakly damped Langmuir wave roots ${\omega }_s+i{\gamma }_s$, with $s=\pm 1$, ${\omega }_s\simeq s{\omega }_{pe}$ and ${\gamma }_s<0$. Their phase velocities $v_s={\omega }_s/\kappa$ are in the tail. Both roots must be retained for each spatial Fourier series harmonic.

Write $ϵ(-i\omega +0^{+},\kappa )={ϵ}_R(\omega )+i{ϵ}_I(\omega )$. The supplied approximation givesExpanding $ϵ({\omega }_s+i{\gamma }_s)=0$ to first order gives the Landau damping rateIn particular, stable damping means ${\omega }_s{f}_0^{\prime }(v_s)<0$. Near either root,The narrow Lorentzian resonance approximation then gives the leading resonant contributionThis is a formula under the integral over velocity; it is not a pointwise approximation away from the resonances. Insert it into the heating formula in c. For one spatial harmonic, the contribution from one root isbecauseThus the tiny tail slope cancels the tiny Landau damping rate: weak absorption is compensated by a large noise-driven wave intensity. The two temporal roots supply two equal halves of the answer. Negative $k$ gives the same result by the conjugate response of a real electric field, without altering the original convention that the spatial sum includes both signs. ThereforeAs in c, equality means the leading result in the stated asymptotic limit. This calculation assumes nonzero damping, observation times $t\gg {\max }_s|{\gamma }_s{|}^{-1}$, and forcing weak enough that $f_0$ changes negligibly during that relaxation. Taking zero damping before the long-time limit invalidates the stationary calculation.

The long-wavelength limit in d is resonant heating. Most electrons screen the slowly varying spatial field. The noise nevertheless excites collective Langmuir waves, whose sharp temporal spectrum lies near $\omega =\pm {\omega }_{pe}$. Electrons with $v\simeq \omega /k$ remain in phase with a wave and exchange energy with it. A stable tail absorbs net wave energy through Landau damping. The heating is initially deposited in narrow tail regions of velocity space, even though the volume-integrated rate equals that in c.

The short-wavelength limit in c is stochastic heating in the terminology intended here. With $ϵ\simeq 1$, the imposed electric field is essentially unscreened. Its temporally uncorrelated kicks cause a random walk of electron velocity, so $⟨(\Delta v{)}^2⟩=2D_0\Delta t$. Electrons throughout the thermal population contribute to the resulting kinetic energy increase; no narrow collective wave peak selects a small tail population.

Both mechanisms are driven by white noise, and the formal condition $\omega =kv$ enters the stationary quasilinear diffusion calculation in both cases. The physical distinction is the sharp collective resonance in d versus the broad direct random forcing in c, rather than the mere presence of randomness. In collisionless theory this heating is an increase of the averaged kinetic energy; subsequent collisions can establish thermal equilibrium.