Accelerated electrons provide the basis for further excitation, dissociation and reaction processes upon collision with other bodies that leads to the multicomponent nature of plasma...why???
Because only electrons with high enough (kinetic) energy are able to break chemical bonds or bring bound electrons to a quantum state with higher energy (excitation).
A plasma can also be driven by energetic photons. So, I would not say "only electrons with high enough energy are able...". Energetic photons can do the same and, if the photons or electrons have sufficient energy, the (possibly multiply charged) ions produced in the plasma can also contribute to dissociation and excitation processes and add to the "multi-component nature" of the plasma.
But, of course, accelerated electrons are the prime drivers in many plasma environments.
@Alfred: Here we have a problem with the duality of the English language :)
I meant from all the electrons only the ones with high enough energy can ionise, dissociate or excite but, of course, also energetic photons can do the trick, the same holds for energetic ions, fast neutrals or neutrons (to a certain extend).
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