General Relativistic Evolution Equations for Density Perturbations in Closed, Flat and Open FLRW Universes

Abstract

It is shown that the decomposition theorems of York, Stewart and Walker for symmetric spatial second-rank tensors, such as the perturbed metric tensor and perturbed Ricci tensor, and the spatial fluid velocity vector imply that, for open, flat or closed Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker universes, there are exactly two, unique, independent gauge-invariant quantities which describe the true, physical perturbations to the energy density and particle number density. Using these two new quantities, evolution equations for cosmological density perturbations and for entropy perturbations, adapted to non-barotropic equations of state for the pressure, are derived. Density perturbations evolve adiabatically if and only if the particle number density does not contribute to the pressure. Local density perturbations do not affect the global expansion of the universe. The new perturbation theory has an exact non-relativistic limit in a non-static universe. The gauge problem of cosmology has thus been solved.