On the Nonequilibrium Statistical Operator Method

Abstract

We describe the large applicability of the Nonequilibrium Statistical Operator Method (NSOM) for the study of dissipative dynamic systems far from equilibrium. It is shown that the NSOM can be encompassed by a unifying variational principle, which produces a large family of NSO that contains existing examples as particular cases. Further, we review the application of the NSOM for the construction of a nonlinear quantum theory of large scope, and for the generation of a response function theory, for far-from-equilibrium Hamiltonian systems. An accompanying non-equilibrium thermodynamic Green's function theory is briefly described. Also it is shown that the NSOM provides mechano-statistical foundations for phenomenological irreversible thermodynamics, and for the important question of stability of far-from-equilibrium steady states and the emergence of self-organized dissipative structures in condensed matter.