  Given a fixed sigma-finite measure space $\left(X,\mathscr{B},\nu\right)$, we
shall study an associated family of positive definite kernels $K$. Their
factorizations will be studied with view to their role as covariance kernels of
a variety of stochastic processes. In the interesting cases, the given measure
$\nu$ is infinite, but sigma-finite. We introduce such positive definite
kernels $K\left(\cdot,\cdot\right)$ with the two variables from the subset of
the sigma-algebra $\mathscr{B}$, sets having finite $\nu$ measure. Our setting
and results are motivated by applications. The latter are covered in the second
half of the paper. We first make precise the notions of realizations and
factorizations for $K$; and we give necessary and sufficient conditions for $K$
to have realizations and factorizations in $L^{2}\left(\nu\right)$. Tools in
the proofs rely on probability theory and on spectral theory for unbounded
operators in Hilbert space. Applications discussed here include the study of
reversible Markov processes, and realizations of Gaussian fields, and their
Ito-integrals.
