The perturbed motion of cold dark matter particles (pressure-free, P=0 ) in an expanding universe can be parametrized by the trajectories
r(q,t)=a(t)[q+ψ(q,t)]
where a(t) is the scale factor of the universe, q is the unperturbed comoving trajectory and ψ is the comoving displacement. The particle equation of motion is r¨=−∇Φ, where the Newtonian potential satisfies the Poisson equation ∇2Φ=4πGρ with mass density ρ(r,t).
(a) Discuss how matter conservation in a small volume d3r ensures that the perturbed density ρ(r,t) and the unperturbed background density ρˉ(t) are related by
ρ(r,t)d3r=ρˉ(t)a3(t)d3q
By changing co-ordinates with the Jacobian
∣∂ri/∂qj∣−1=∣aδij+a∂ψi/∂qj∣−1≈a−3(1−∇q⋅ψ),
show that the fractional density perturbation δ(q,t) can be written to leading order as
δ≡ρˉρ−ρˉ=−∇q⋅ψ,
where ∇q⋅ψ=∑i∂ψi/∂qi.
Use this result to integrate the Poisson equation once. Hence, express the particle equation of motion in terms of the comoving displacement as
ψ¨+2aa˙ψ˙−4πGρˉψ=0
Infer that the density perturbation evolution equation is
δ¨+2aa˙δ˙−4πGρˉδ=0
[Hint: You may assume that the integral of ∇2Φ=4πGρˉ is ∇Φ=−4πGρˉr/3. Note also that the Raychaudhuri equation (for P=0 ) is a¨/a=−4πGρˉ/3..]
(b) Find the general solution of equation (∗) in a flat (k=0) universe dominated by cold dark matter (P=0). Discuss the effect of late-time Λ or dark energy domination on the growth of density perturbations.