Exploring non-equilibrium statistical ensembles

Since Gibbs synthesized a general equilibrium statistical ensemble theory, generalizing the Gibbsian theory to non-equilibrium phenomena has been a dream for some theorists. However, the status of the theory for the non-equilibrium ensemble formalism is not as well established as the Gibbsian ensemble theory. In this work, we explore the formalism behind the non-equilibrium statistical ensemble theory based on the sub-dynamic kinetic equation originating from the Brussels-Austin school and developed further by others. The key is establishing a similarity transformation between Gibbsian ensembles and the sub-dynamic ensemble. Using this way, we study a spin-Boson model with strong coupling. A reduced density operator for the canonical ensemble can be easily obtained and the relevant decoherence-free property is revealed.