Kosmann derivative and momentum maps from a duality covariant framework

Abstract

A covariant implementation of diffeomorphisms in the presence of local symmetries is a nontrivial aspect of gravitational theories. In Double Field Theory, this is achieved through the so-called generalized Kosmann derivative. In this work, we show that the generalized Kosmann derivative admits a natural formulation entirely in terms of generalized fluxes through the inclusion of a compensating term that plays the role of a generalized momentum map, yielding a fully determined and covariant operator that provides a covariant realization of generalized diffeomorphisms. When parameterized in terms of the field content of heterotic supergravity, the resulting symmetry transformations give rise to momentum maps at the supergravity level, offering a duality-covariant interpretation of these objects. This framework provides a natural setting for the construction of conserved currents and Noether charges in doubled geometry with internal symmetries, with direct implications for black hole thermodynamics and its higher-derivative corrections in a duality-covariant setting.