Non-linear interactions in a cosmological background in the DGP braneworld

TL;DR

This paper investigates non-linear effects in cosmological perturbations within the DGP braneworld model, focusing on the Vainshtein radius and the transition between linear and non-linear regimes in a cosmological setting.

Contribution

It identifies the Vainshtein radius in a cosmological background and demonstrates the applicability of perturbation theory beyond this radius by including second order effects.

Findings

Vainshtein radius is smaller in the early universe compared to Minkowski background.

Perturbative approach remains valid beyond the Vainshtein radius with second order effects.

Linear perturbations match smoothly with non-linear solutions inside the Vainshtein radius.

Abstract

We study quasi-static perturbations in a cosmological background in the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati (DGP) braneworld model. We identify the Vainshtein radius at which the non-linear interactions of the brane bending mode become important in a cosmological background. The Vainshtein radius in the early universe is much smaller than the one in the Minkowski background, but in a self-accelerating universe it is the same as the Minkowski background. Our result shows that the perturbative approach is applicable beyond the Vainshtein radius for weak gravity by taking into account the second order effects of the brane bending mode. The linearised cosmological perturbations are shown to be smoothly matched to the solutions inside the Vainshtein radius. We emphasize the importance of imposing a regularity condition in the bulk by solving the 5D perturbations and we highlight the problem of ad hoc assumptions on the bulk gravity that lead to different conclusions.