What the "simple renormalization group" approach to dark matter clustering really was

TL;DR

This paper reinterprets the simple renormalization group approach to dark matter clustering as a method of dialing non-linear coupling strength, clarifying its derivation, potential extensions, and unique UV suppression features compared to standard perturbation theory.

Contribution

It provides a clearer derivation of the approach from coupling strength perspective, enabling extensions to higher orders and other statistics, and highlights its UV sensitivity suppression.

Findings

The approach improves dark matter power spectrum predictions over standard PT.

It offers a new perspective on the renormalization group method in cosmology.

Potential for extending to higher order calculations and different statistics.

Abstract

McDonald (2007) presented an approach to improving perturbation theory (PT) calculations of the dark matter power spectrum, with a derivation based on the idea of renormalization group flow with time. In spite of a questionable approximation made in deriving it, subsequent comparisons by several groups between the predictions of the resulting equation and N-body simulations showed remarkable improvement relative to "standard" PT (SPT) at similar order. In this brief note I show that the same final equation can be derived cleanly from the point of view not of flowing with time but with non-linear coupling strength, i.e., gradually dialing the coupling from the trivial value zero to the physical one. This understanding makes it clear how to extend the approach to higher order and other statistics. While I do not necessarily think this approach is best among the many, it may be interesting in that it contains a unique way of suppressing UV sensitivity. In passing I remind the reader of references demonstrating that SPT works remarkably well without improvement (except near redshift zero, where, fortunately for SPT, there is very little volume in the Universe).