Paper 4, Section I, D

Cosmology
Part II, 2010

The linearised equation for the growth of density perturbations, δk\delta_{\mathbf{k}}, in an isotropic and homogenous universe is

δ¨k+2a˙aδ˙k+(cs2k2a24πGρ)δk=0\ddot{\delta}_{\mathbf{k}}+2 \frac{\dot{a}}{a} \dot{\delta}_{\mathbf{k}}+\left(\frac{c_{s}^{2} \mathbf{k}^{2}}{a^{2}}-4 \pi G \rho\right) \delta_{\mathbf{k}}=0

where ρ\rho is the density of matter, csc_{s} the sound speed, cs2=dP/dρc_{s}^{2}=d P / d \rho, and k\mathbf{k} is the comoving wavevector and a(t)a(t) is the scale factor of the universe.

What is the Jean's length? Discuss its significance for the growth of perturbations.

Consider a universe filled with pressure-free matter with a(t)=(t/t0)2/3a(t)=\left(t / t_{0}\right)^{2 / 3}. Compute the resulting equation for the growth of density perturbations. Show that your equation has growing and decaying modes and comment briefly on the significance of this fact.