Relativistic Euler Equations in cosmologies with non-linear structures

TL;DR

This paper develops a new cosmological perturbation theory framework that incorporates non-linear small-scale structures while maintaining relativistic consistency, enabling accurate evolution of energy densities and velocities across all scales.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perturbation theory tailored for non-linear small-scale structures within a relativistic cosmological context, extending beyond traditional linear approaches.

Findings

Derives relativistic Eulerian hydrodynamics equations for complex cosmological scenarios.

Demonstrates the equations' consistency with Einstein constraints and well-posedness.

Identifies new relativistic effects and interactions across different scales and modes.

Abstract

We consider a new variant of cosmological perturbation theory that has been designed specifically to include non-linear density contrasts on scales 100 Mpc, while still allowing for linear fluctuations on larger scales. This theory is used to derive the relativistic equations of Eulerian hydrodynamics in realistic cosmological scenarios that contain radiation and a cosmological constant, as well as matter that has been allowed to clump into galaxies and clusters of galaxies. These equations can be used to evolve energy densities and velocities in the presences of small-scale non-linear structures, and on scales all the way up to the horizon and beyond. The leading-order part of these equations reproduces the expected Newtonian equations, while subsequent orders prescribe relativistic corrections. We demonstrate that these evolution equations are consistent with maintaining the Einstein constraints, and hence that the system as a whole is mathematically well posed. The relativistic corrections that we derive are found to exhibit non-trivial interactions between perturbations on different scales, as well as the mixing of scalar, vector and tensor modes. They deviate from those that occur in both post-Friedmann and standard cosmological perturbation theory approaches, and point towards new relativistic effects that could be measurable by upcoming ultra-large-scale surveys.