Generalized Moyal structures in phase space, kinetic equations and their classical limit: I. General Formalism

Generalised Wigner and Weyl transformations of quantum operators are defined and their properties, as well as those of the algebraic structure induced on the phase-space are studied. Using such transformations, quantum linear evolution equations are given a phase-space representation. In particular this is done for the general kinetic equation of the Lindblad type. The resulting expressions are better suited for the passage to the classical limit and for a general comparison of classical and quantum systems. In this context a preliminary discussion of a number of problems of kinetic theory of open systems is given, whereas explicit applications are made in the next paper of the series.