We study the linear Vlasov equation with a given electric field E ∈ S, where S is the space of Schwartz functions. The associated damped partial differential equation has a unique tempered solution, which fixes the needed Cauchy datum. This tempered solution then converges to the causal solution of the linear Vlasov equation when the damping parameter goes to zero. This result allows us to define the plasma conductivity operator σ, which gives the current density j = σ(E) induced by the electric field E. We prove that σ is continuous from S to its dual S ′. We can treat rigorously the case of uniform non-magnetized non-relativistic plasma (linear Landau damping) and the case of uniform magnetized relativistic plasma (cyclotron damping). In both cases, we demonstrate that the main part of the conductivity operator is a pseudo-differential operator and we give its expression rigorously. This matches the formal results widely used in the theoretical physics community.