Non--Linear Evolution of Cosmological Perturbations

Abstract

In these lecture notes I review the theory of the non--linear evolution of cosmological perturbations in a self--gravitating collisionless medium, with vanishing vorticity. The problem is first analyzed in the context of the Newtonian approximation, where the basic properties of the Zel'dovich, frozen--flow and adhesion algorithms are introduced. An exact general relativistic formalism is then presented and it is shown how the Newtonian limit, both in Lagrangian and Eulerian coordinates, can be recovered. A general discussion on the possible role of possible relativistic effects in the cosmological structure formation context is finally given.