Conformal symmetry, anomaly and effective action for metric-scaler gravitywith torsion

We consider some aspects of conformal symmetry in a metric-scalar-torsion s ystem. It is shown that, for some special choice of the action, torsion act s as a compensating field and the full theory is conformally equivalent to General Relativity on classical level. Due to the introduction of torsion, this equivalence can be provided for the positively-defined gravitational a nd scalar actions. One-loop divergences arising from the scalar loop are ca lculated and both the consequent anomaly and the anomaly-induced effective action are derived. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.