$N$-body simulations for parametrised modified gravity

Abstract

We present $\texttt{MG-evolution}$, an $N$-body code simulating the cosmological structure formation for parametrised modifications of gravity. It is built from the combination of parametrised linear theory with a parametrisation of the deeply nonlinear cosmological regime extrapolated from modified spherical collapse computations that cover the range of known screening mechanisms. We test $\texttt {MG-evolution}$, which runs at the speed of conventional $\Lambda$CDM simulations, against a suit of existing exact model-specific codes, encompassing linearised and chameleon $f(R)$ gravity as well as the normal branch of the Dvali-Gabadadz-Porrati braneworld model, hence covering both large-field value and large-derivative screening effects. We compare the nonlinear power spectra produced by the parametrised and model-specific approaches over the full range of scales set by the box size and resolution of our simulations, $k=(0.05-2.5)$~h/Mpc, and for two redshift slices, $z=0$ and $z=1$. We find sub-percent to one-percent level recovery of all the power spectra generated with the model-specific codes for the full range of scales. $\texttt {MG-evolution}$ can be used for generalised and accurate tests of gravity and dark energy with the increasing wealth of high-precision cosmological survey data becoming available over the next decade.