Electron beam formation and stability

The dynamics of fast electrons streaming from the Sun through the interplanetary plasma is reviewed from the kinetic viewpoint. How can a bump appear on the tail of the electron distribution function? How can the beam survive the beam-plasma instability and propagate up to 1 AU as observed? These two questions are discussed in light of the recent data acquired in situ on electron distributions, Langmuir waves, ion acoustic waves, and background density fluctuations.