Chapter 5.

STRUCTURE FORMATION

ion
d iat
Ra Neutrions

Dark
CMB ⇐ Photons
Energy

Thomson
Scattering Metric

Dark
Electrons Matter
⇒ LSS
Co
Sca ulom
tte b
rin
g Baryons r
tte
Ma

• Perturbed Einstein equations:

(E1) ∇2 Φ − 3H(Φ0 + HΦ) = 4πGa2 ρ̄δ

(E2) Φ0 + HΦ = −4πGa2 (ρ̄ + P̄ )v
(E3) Φ00 + 3HΦ0 + (2H0 + H2 )Φ = 4πGa2 δP

• Perturbed conservation equations:

0 4
(C) δm = −∇ · v m + 3Φ 0 , δr0 = − ∇ · v r + 4Φ 0 ,
3
0 1
(E) vm = −Hv m − ∇Φ . v r0 = − ∇δr − ∇Φ .
4
where H and Φ are sourced by all components.
5.1 CLUSTERING OF DARK MATTER
Recall from Chapter 4 that
00 0
δm + Hδm = ∇2 Φ + 3(Φ00 + HΦ0 ) .

On subhorizon scales, radiation fluctuations oscillate and the time-averaged

gravitational potential is only sourced by the matter fluctuations:

∇2 Φ + 3(Φ00 + HΦ0 ) ≈ 4πGa2 ρ̄m δm .

Hence, we get
00 0
δm + Hδm − 4πGa2 ρ̄m δm ≈ 0 .

• During the radiation era, we have 4πGa2 ρ̄m  H2 , so that

00 1 0
δm + δ ≈ 0,
η m
where we used H = 1/η. The growing mode solution is

δm ∝ ln η ∝ ln a .

• During the matter era, we have 4πGa2 ρ̄m ≈ 23 H2 , so that

00 2 0 6
δm + δm − 2 δm ≈ 0 ,
η η
where we used H = 2/η. The growing mode solution is

δm ∝ η 2 ∝ a .

⇔ Dark matter only clusters after the universe becomes matter dominated.

2
The observed fluctuations can be written as

δm,k (z) = T (k, z) × Rk

transfer function initial conditions

The matter power spectrum is

Pδ (k) ≡ |δm,k |2 = |T (k)|2 × |Rk |2 .

For scale-invariant initial conditions, |Rk |2 ∝ k −3 , we predict:

large scales small scales

Ex: Explain the shape of the spectrum.

3
5.2 ACOUSTIC OSCILLATIONS
Recall from Chapter 4 that

0 4 0
 δr = − ∇ · v r + 4Φ (C)


1 4 3
δr00 − ∇2 δr = ∇2 Φ + 4Φ00
3 3
 v 0r = − 1 ∇δr − ∇Φ

 (E)
4

Let us discuss the solution on subhorizon scales:

• During the radiation era, the potential decays, Φ ∝ a−2 , so that

1
δr00 − ∇2 δr ≈ 0 .
3
⇒ Fluctuations oscillate around δr = 0, with frequency ω = √1 k.
3

• During the matter era, Φ = const., so that

1 4
δr00 − ∇2 δr = ∇2 Φ = const.
3 3
⇒ Fluctuations oscillate around δr = −4Φ0 (k).

The coupling between photons and baryons, modifies the Euler equation
1
[(1 + R)v γ ] 0 = − ∇δγ − (1 + R)∇Φ (E)
4
↑ ↑
inertial gravitational
mass mass

Ωb h2
  
qb 3 ρ̄b a
where R ≡ = = 0.6 .
qγ 4 ρ̄γ 0.02 10−3

4
Combining this with (C), we find

R0 4 2 4R 0 0
δγ00 + 0 2 2 00
δ − cs ∇ δγ = ∇ Φ + 4Φ + Φ ,
1+R γ 3 1+R
1
where c2s ≡ .
3(1 + R)
⇒ Fluctuations oscillate around δγ = −4(1 + R)Φ0 (k), with frequency ω = cs k.

The general solution looks like this:

damp
ing

dri
vin
g
5 10 15 20

Next, we will study the imprint of these primordial sound waves in the CMB.

5
5.3 CMB ANISOTROPIES
The first thing we see in the CMB is the motion of the solar system:

HOT

COLD

The momentum of the observed photons is Doppler shifted:

p0 (n̂) ≈ p (1 + n̂ · v) ,

corresponding to a dipolar temperature anisotropy

δT (n̂) T0 (n̂) − T p0 (n̂) − p
≡ = = n̂ · v .
T T p
Fitting the CMB dipole, we find

v = 368 km/s .

After subtracting the dipole, we are left with the primordial anisotropy.

Consider the propagation of photons in the perturbed spacetime

ds2 = a2 (η) (1 + 2Ψ)dη 2 − (1 − 2Φ)δij dxi dxj .

 

From the geodesic equation, we find

1 dp 1 da ∂Ψ ∂Φ
= − − p̂i i +
p dη a dη ∂x ∂η
↑ ↑ ↑
redshift gravitational redshift

6
This can be written as

d dΨ ∂(Ψ + Φ) dΨ ∂Ψ ∂Ψ
ln(ap) = − + , ≡ + p̂i i .
dη dη ∂η dη ∂η ∂x

Integrating from η∗ (last-scattering) to η0 (today), we get

Z η0
∂
ln(ap)0 = ln(ap)∗ + (Ψ∗ − Ψ0 ) + dη (Ψ + Φ) .
η∗ ∂η
 
δT
Using ap ∝ aT = aT̄ 1 + , we find
T̄
intrinsic δT gravitational redshift
↓ ↓
  Z η0
δT 1
(n̂) = δγ + Ψ + n̂ · v e + dη (Ψ 0 + Φ 0 ) ,
T̄ 4 ∗ η∗

↑ ↑ ↑
SW Doppler ISW

1
where we used (δT /T̄ )∗ = (δγ )∗ [since ρr ∝ T 4 ] and added a Doppler term
4
due to the motion of electrons at the surface of last-scattering:

7
The CMB anisotropies are a superposition of the acoustic waves, captured at
recombination and projected onto the sky:

The two-point correlation function is Legendre polynomials

X 2l + 1 ↓
0
δT (n̂)δT (n̂ ) = Cl Pl (cos θ) ,
4π
l ↑
where n̂ · n̂0 ≡ cos θ. angular power spectrum

For scale-invariant initial conditions, we predict:

Total
SW
Doppler
ISW