For a spacetime of odd dimensions endowed with a unit vector field, we
introduce a new topological current that is identically conserved and whose
charge is equal to the Euler character of the even dimensional spacelike
foliations. The existence of this current allows us to introduce new
Chern-Simons-type terms in the effective field theories describing relativistic
quantum Hall states and (2+1) dimensional superfluids. Using effective field
theory, we calculate various correlation functions and identify transport
coefficients. In the quantum Hall case, this current provides the natural
relativistic generalization of the Wen-Zee term, required to characterize the
shift and Hall viscosity in quantum Hall systems. For the superfluid case this
term is required to have nonzero Hall viscosity and to describe superfluids
with non s-wave pairing.Comment: 24 pages. v2: added citations, corrected minor typos in appendi