Role of plasma electrons in gas-discharge plasma formation V. A. Gruzdev, V. G. Zalesski, I. S. Rusetski Polotsk State University, 29 Blokhin str., Novopolotsk, 211440, Belarus E-mail: V.Zalesski@mail.ru The contribution of various gas ionization mechanisms in the penning type gas-discharge structures used for emitting plasmas formation in plasma electron sources is considered. <...> It is shown that the considerable contribution to gas ionization process is provided by the plasma electrons under certain conditions. <...>