Symmetries and Black Holes in 2D Dilaton Gravity

We study global symmetries of generic 2D dilaton gravity models. Using a non-linear sigma model formulation we show that the unique theories admitting special conformal symmetries are the models with an exponential potential $V \propto e^{\beta\phi}$ ($ S ={1\over2\pi} \int d^2 x \sqrt{-g} [ R \phi + 4 \lambda^2 e^{\beta\phi} ]$), which include the model of Callan, Giddings, Harvey and Strominger (CGHS) as a particular though limiting ($\beta=0$) case. These models give rise to black hole solutions with a mass-dependent temperature. The underlying conformal symmetry can be maintained in a natural way in the one-loop effective action, thus implying the exact solvability of the semiclassical theory including back-reaction. Moreover, we also introduce three different classes of non-conformal transformations which are symmetries for generic 2D dilaton gravity models. Special linear combinations of these transformations turn out to be the conformal symmetries of the CGHS and $V \propto e^{\beta\phi}$ models. We show that, in general, a non-conformal symmetry can be converted into a conformal one by means of adequate field redefinitions involving the metric and the derivatives of the dilaton. Finally, by expressing the Polyakov-Liouville effective action in terms of an invariant metric, we are able to provide semiclassical models which are also invariant. This generalizes the solvable semiclassical model of Bose, Parker and Peleg (BPP) for a generic 2D dilaton gravity model.