Statistical description of nonequilibrium self-gravitating systems

Self-gravitating systems are non-equilibrium a priori. A new approach is proposed, which employs a non-equilibrium statistical operator that takes account inhomogeneous distribution of particles and temperature. The method involves a saddle-point procedure to find the dominant contributions to the partition function, thus obtaining all thermodynamic parameters of the system. Probable peculiar features in the behavior of the self-gravitating systems are considered for various conditions. The equation of state for self-gravitating systems has been determined. A new length of the statistical instability is obtained for a real gravitational system, as are parameters of the spatially inhomogeneous distribution of particles and temperature.