Invariant conserved currents in generalized gravity

Abstract

We study conservation laws for gravity theories invariant under general coordinate transformations. The class of models under consideration includes Einstein's general relativity theory as a special case as well as its generalizations to non-Riemannian spacetime geometry and nonminimal coupling. We demonstrate that an arbitrary vector field on the spacetime manifold generates a current density that is conserved under certain conditions, and find the expression of the corresponding superpotential. For a family of models including nonminimal coupling between geometry and matter, we discuss in detail the differential conservation laws and the conserved quantities defined in terms of covariant multipole moments. We show that the equations of motion for the multipole moments of extended microstructured test bodies lead to conserved quantities that are closely related to the conserved currents derived in the field-theoretic framework.