Modelling non-linear evolution using Lagrangian Perturbation Theory (LPT) re-expansions

Abstract

We present a new method to calculate formation of cosmological structure in the Newtonian limit. The method is based on Lagrangian perturbation theory plus two key theoretical extensions. One advance involves identifying and fixing a previously ignored gauge-like degree of freedom relating quantities calculated in LPT to those measured by a preferred Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) observer. Handling this connection between calculational and observer frames is physically essential and ensures a momentum conserving description. The second extension is to systematically re-expand the equations of motion to increase LPT's radius of convergence to the maximum future time prior to orbit crossing. The paper implements a complete algorithm and performs extensive "proof of principle" tests of the new method, including direct comparison to known solutions, evaluation of conserved quantities and formal convergence studies. All are satisfactory. We show convergence is exponential in grid size and Lagrangian order and polynomial in step size. There are three {\it powerful advantages} afforded by the new technique: (1) it employs a smooth representation of all fields and the results are not limited by particle induced shot-noise errors, (2) it permits the numerical error to be controlled by changing Lagrangian order and/or number of steps allowing, in principle, arbitrarily small errors to be achieved prior to orbit crossing and (3) it handles generic cold initial data (any periodic density and velocity fields, including those with initial rotational components). Together, these properties make the new technique well-suited to handle quasi-linear scales where analytic methods and/or numerical simulations fail to provide suitably accurate answers.