Fake Conformal Symmetry in Unimodular Gravity

Abstract

We study Weyl symmetry (local conformal symmetry) in unimodular gravity. It is shown that the Noether currents for both Weyl symmetry and global scale symmetry, identically vanish as in the conformally invariant scalar-tensor gravity. We clearly explain why in the class of conformally invariant gravitational theories, the Noether currents vanish by starting with the conformally invariant scalar-tensor gravity. Moreover, we comment on both classical and quantum-mechanical equivalences among Einstein's general relativity, the conformally invariant scalar-tensor gravity and the Weyl-transverse (WTDiff) gravity. Finally, we discuss the Weyl current in the conformally invariant scalar action and see that it is also vanishing.