We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix
R to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where
N is the number of two-level systems per unit volume,
r0 is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.
In this work we apply the Lie group representation method introduced in the real time formalism for finite-temperature quantum-field theory, thermofield dynamics, to derive a spinorial density matrix equation. Symmetry properties of such equation are analysed, and as a basic result it is shown that one solution is the generalised density matrix operator proposed by Heinz, to deal with gauge covariant kinetic equations. In the same context, preliminary aspects of a Lagrangian formalism to derive kinetic equations, as well as quantum density matrix equations in curved space-time, are discussed.