Conservation of nonlinear curvature perturbations on super-Hubble scales

Abstract

We consider general, non-linear curvature perturbations on scales greater than the Hubble horizon scale by invoking an expansion in spatial gradients, the so-called gradient expansion. After reviewing the basic properties of the gradient expansion, we derive the conservation law for non-linear curvature perturbations for an isentropic fluid. We also define the gauge-invariant curvature perturbation under a finite shift of time-slicing, and derive the non-linear genralization of the $\delta N$ formalism. The results obtained are straight-forward generalisations of those already proven in linear perturbation theory, and the equations are simple, resembling closely the first-order equations.