Work and work-energy theorem in curved spacetime

Abstract: The definitions of gravitational work as well as work done by the total external force on a massive probe particle moving in generic spacetime backgrounds are proposed. These definitions are given in the form of scalar integrals and thus, are independent of coordinate choices. However, the dependence on the choice of observer field is essential and inevitable. The definitions are checked in the case of Minkowski, Schwarzschild, Reisner-Nordstr\"om and Kerr-Newman spacetimes and agreements with Newtonian mechanical definitions are verified in the slow motion or the far field limit.