Noether current for a first-derivative scalar field

ID: noether-current-for-a-first-derivative-scalar-field

For and a variational symmetry of a Lagrangian density, write and . The product rule gives . Therefore obeys , so it is a conserved current on shell. Spatial integration gives a conserved Noether charge only when the boundary flux vanishes. The formula extends to several components by summation.

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