Stress-Energy-Momentum Tensors in Lagrangian Field Theory. Part 1. Superpotentials

Abstract

Differential conservation laws in Lagrangian field theory are usually related to symmetries of a Lagrangian density and are obtained if the Lie derivative of a Lagrangian density by a certain class of vector fields on a fiber bundle vanishes. However, only two field models meet this property in fact. In gauge theory of exact internal symmetries, the Lie derivative by vertical vector fields corresponding to gauge transformations is equal to zero. The corresponding Nöether current is reduced to a superpotential that provides invariance of the Nöether conservation law under gauge transformations. In the gravitation theory, we meet the phenomenon of "hidden energy". Only the superpotential part of energy-momentum of gravity and matter is observed when the general covariant transformations are exact. Other parts of energy-momentum display themselves if the invariance under general covariance transformations is broken, e.g., by a background world metric. In this case, the Lie derivatives of Lagrangian densities by vector fields which call into play the stress-energy-momentum tensors fail to be equal to zero in general. We base our analysis of differential conservation laws on the canonical decomposition of the Lie derivative of a Lagrangian density $L$ by a projectable vector field on a bundle and with respect to different Lepagian equivalents of $L$. Different Lepagian equivalents lead to conserved quantities which differ from each other in superpotential terms. We have different stress-energy-momentum tensors depending on different lifts of vector fields on a base onto a bundle. Moreover, different solutions of the same Euler-Lagrange equations may require different energy-momentum tensors. We show that different stress-energy-momentum tensors differ from each other in Nöether currents. As