[en] In this work the onset of the development of the non-equilibrium conductivity in the entrance region of a noble gas MHD generator is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. At low electron densities the discharge seems to be affected by a non-Maxwellian electron distribution. In Chapter II a self-consistent model of a stationary discharge in an Ar-Cs mixture at atmospheric pressure, is set up. It includes the possibility of deviations from a Maxwellian electron energy distribution. The model allows to calculate at what discharge parameters deviations from the Maxwellian electron distribution will become important. In Chapter III the relaxation of the plasma to a new equilibrium situation following a sudden change in the electron thermal energy is calculated by a model which can take radiation and a non-Maxwellian distribution into account. In Chapter IV an Ar-Cs discharge experiment is described with plasma parameters similar to those present in the entrance region of the generator. The ionization relaxation process in a noble gas MHD generator is experimentally studied and described in Chapter V. In this chapter the relaxation ionization region with and without pre-ionization is investigated. Current voltage characteristics are obtained by varying the applied voltage or the external load. The results are confronted with the theoretical results of the non-Maxwellian model developed in Chapter II. Conclusions of this work are drawn in Chapter VI. (Auth.)