Within the framework of the Lovelock gravity theory, we propose a new rank-four divergenceless tensor consisting of the Riemann curvature tensor and inheriting its algebraic symmetry characters. Such a tensor can be adopted to define conserved charges of the Lovelock gravity theory in asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) space–times. Besides, inspired with the case of the Lovelock gravity, we put forward another general fourth-rank tensor in the context of an arbitrary diffeomorphism invariant theory of gravity described by the Lagrangian constructed out of the curvature tensor. On basis of the newly-constructed tensor, we further suggest a Komar-like formula for the conserved charges of this generic gravity theory.

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the conventional Komar integral to asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) black holes. In order to do so, we first obtain a potential that is the linear combination of the usual Komar potential with two third-order derivative terms generated by the action of the d'Alembertian operator and the exterior derivative upon a Killing vector. Then this higher-order corrected potential is extended to the Einstein gravity with a negative cosmological constant, yielding the potential that is the linear combination of the usual Komar one with it acted on by the d'Alembertian. It is demonstrated that the surface integral of the improved Komar potential can serve as a formula for conserved charges of asymptotically AdS spacetimes. Finally, to illustrate such a formula, we make use of it to compute the mass and the angular momentum of Schwarzschild-AdS black holes, regular AdS black holes, asymptotically AdS Kerr-Sen black holes, Kerr-NUT-AdS black holes, and Kerr-AdS black holes in arbitrary dimensions. The results are in agreement with the ones in the literature.