On Time-Dependent Projectors and a Generalization of the Thermodynamical Approach in the Theory of Open Quantum Systems

We develop a consistent perturbative technique for obtaining a time-local linear master equation based on projection methods in the case where the projection operator depends on time. Then we introduce a generalization of the Kawasaki–Gunton projection operator, which allows us to use this technique to derive, generally speaking, nonlinear master equations in the case of arbitrary ansatzes consistent with some set of observables. Most of the results obtained are of a very general nature, but when discussing them, we put emphasis on the application of these results to the theory of open quantum systems.