arXiv subjects

John Wainwright

Publications and source records attributed to John Wainwright.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Tracking Quintessence

Tracking quintessence, in a spatially flat and isotropic space-time with a minimally coupled canonical scalar field and an asymptotically inverse power-law potential $V(\varphi)\propto\varphi^{-p}$, $p>0$, as $\varphi\rightarrow0$, is investigated. This is done by introducing a new three-dimensional \emph{regular} dynamical system, which enables a rigorous explanation of the tracking feature: 1) The dynamical system has a tracker fixed point $\mathrm{T}$ with a two-dimensional stable manifold that pushes an open set of nearby solutions toward a single tracker solution originating from $\mathrm{T}$. 2) All solutions, including the tracker solution and the solutions that track/shadow it, end at a common future attractor fixed point that depends on the potential. Thus, the open set of solutions that shadow the tracker solution share its properties during the tracking quintessence epoch. We also discuss similarities and differences of underlying mechanisms for tracking, thawing and scaling freezing quintessence, and, moreover, we illustrate with state space pictures that all of these types of quintessence exist simultaneously for certain potentials.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Quintessence from a state space perspective

We use dynamical systems methods to study quintessence models in a spatially flat and isotropic spacetime with matter and a scalar field with potentials for which $\lambda(\varphi)=-V_{,\varphi}/V$ is bounded, thereby going beyond the exponential potential for which $\lambda(\varphi)$ is constant. The scalar field equation of state parameter $w_\varphi$ plays a central role when comparing quintessence models with observations, but with the dynamical systems used to date $w_\varphi$ is an indeterminate, discontinuous, function on the state space in the asymptotically matter dominated regime. Our first main result is the introduction of new variables that lead to a \emph{regular} dynamical system on a \emph{bounded} three-dimensional state space on which $w_\varphi$ is a \emph{regular} function. The solution trajectories in the state space then provide a visualization of different types of quintessence evolution, and how initial conditions affect the transition between the matter and scalar field dominated epochs; this is complemented by graphs $w_\varphi(N)$, where $N$ is the $e$-fold time, which enables characterizing different types of quintessence evolution.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

A stylised view on structural and functional connectivity in dynamical processes in networks

The relationship of network structure and dynamics is one of most extensively investigated problems in the theory of complex systems of the last years. Understanding this relationship is of relevance to a range of disciplines -- from Neuroscience to Geomorphology. A major strategy of investigating this relationship is the quantitative comparison of a representation of network architecture (structural connectivity) with a (network) representation of the dynamics (functional connectivity). Analysing such SC/FC relationships has over the past years contributed substantially to our understanding of the functional role of network properties, such as modularity, hierarchical organization, hubs and cycles. Here, we show that one can distinguish two classes of functional connectivity -- one based on simultaneous activity (co-activity) of nodes the other based on sequential activity of nodes. We delineate these two classes in different categories of dynamical processes -- excitations, regular and chaotic oscillators -- and provide examples for SC/FC correlations of both classes in each of these models. We expand the theoretical view of the SC/FC relationships, with conceptual instances of the SC and the two classes of FC for various application scenarios in Geomorphology, Freshwater Ecology, Systems Biology, Neuroscience and Social-Ecological Systems. Seeing the organization of a dynamical processes in a network either as governed by co-activity or by sequential activity allows us to bring some order in the myriad of observations relating structure and function of complex networks.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2020

Dynamical systems in perturbative scalar field cosmology

We derive a new \emph{regular} dynamical system on a 3-dimensional \emph{compact} state space describing linear scalar perturbations of spatially flat Robertson-Walker geometries for relativistic models with a minimally coupled scalar field with an exponential potential. This enables us to construct the global solution space, illustrated with figures, where known solutions are shown to reside on special invariant sets. We also use our dynamical systems approach to obtain new results about the comoving and uniform density curvature perturbations. Finally we show how to extend our approach to more general scalar field potentials. This leads to state spaces where the state space of the models with an exponential potential appears as invariant boundary sets, thereby illustrating their role as building blocks in a hierarchy of increasingly complex cosmological models.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Perturbations of the Lambda-CDM model in a dynamical systems perspective

The observational success and simplicity of the $\Lambda$CDM model, and the explicit analytic perturbations thereof, set the standard for any alternative cosmology. It therefore serves as a comparison ground and as a test case for methods which can be extended and applied to other cosmological models. In this paper we introduce dynamical systems and methods to describe linear scalar and tensor perturbations of the $\Lambda$CDM model, which serve as pedagogical examples that show the global illustrative powers of dynamical systems in the context of cosmological perturbations. We also study the asymptotic properties of the shear and Weyl tensors and discuss the validity of the perturbations as approximations to the Einstein field equations. Furthermore, we give a new approximation for the linear growth rate, $f(z) = \frac{d\ln \delta}{d\ln a} = \Omega^{\frac{6}{11}}_m - \frac{1}{70}(1-\Omega_m)^{\frac{5}{2}}$, where $z$ is the cosmological redshift, $\Omega_m=\Omega_m(z)$, while $a$ is the background scale factor, and show that it is much more accurate than the previous ones in the literature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

The general solution at large scale for second order perturbations in a scalar field dominated universe

In this paper we consider second order perturbations of a flat Friedmann-Lema\^{i}tre universe whose stress-energy content is a single minimally coupled scalar field with an arbitrary potential. We derive the general solution of the perturbed Einstein equations in explicit form for this class of models when the perturbations are in the super-horizon regime. As a by-product we obtain a new conserved quantity for long wavelength perturbations of a single scalar field at second order.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Second order cosmological perturbations: new conserved quantities and the general solution at super-horizon scale

The study of long wavelength scalar perturbations, in particular the existence of conserved quantities when the perturbations are adiabatic, plays an important role in e.g. inflationary cosmology. In this paper we present some new conserved quantities at second order and relate them to the curvature perturbation in the uniform density gauge, $\zeta$, and the comoving curvature perturbation, ${\cal R}$. We also, for the first time, derive the general solution of the perturbed Einstein equations at second order, which thereby contains both growing and decaying modes, for adiabatic long wavelength perturbations for a stress-energy tensor with zero anisotropic stresses and zero heat flux. The derivation uses the total matter gauge, but results are subsequently translated to the uniform curvature and Poisson (longitudinal, zero shear) gauges.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Second order cosmological perturbations: simplified gauge change formulas

In this paper we present a new formulation of the change of gauge formulas in second order cosmological perturbation theory which unifies and simplifies known results. Our approach is based on defining new second order scalar perturbation variables by adding a multiple of the square of the corresponding first order variables to each second order variable. A bonus is that these new perturbation variables are of broader significance in that they also simplify the analysis of second order scalar perturbations in the super-horizon regime in a number of ways, and lead to new conserved quantities.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Dynamics of cosmological perturbations at first and second order

In this paper we give five gauge-invariant systems of governing equations for first and second order scalar perturbations of flat Friedmann-Lemaître universes that are minimal in the sense that they contain no redundant equations or variables. We normalize the variables so that they are dimensionless, which leads to systems of equations that are simple and ready-to-use. We compare the properties and utility of the different systems. For example, they serve as a starting point for finding explicit solutions for two benchmark problems in cosmological perturbation theory at second order: adiabatic perturbations in the super-horizon regime (the long wavelength limit) and perturbations of $Λ$CDM universes. However, our framework has much wider applicability and serves as a reference for future work in the field.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Second order density perturbations for dust cosmologies

We present simple expressions for the relativistic first and second order fractional density perturbations for FL cosmologies with dust, in four different gauges: the Poisson, uniform curvature, total matter and synchronous gauges. We include a cosmological constant and arbitrary spatial curvature in the background. A distinctive feature of our approach is our description of the spatial dependence of the perturbations using a canonical set of quadratic differential expressions involving an arbitrary spatial function that arises as a conserved quantity. This enables us to unify, simplify and extend previous seemingly disparate results. We use the primordial matter and metric perturbations that emerge at the end of the inflationary epoch to determine the additional arbitrary spatial function that arises when integrating the second order perturbation equations. This introduces a non-Gaussianity parameter into the expressions for the second order density perturbation. In the special case of zero spatial curvature we show that the time evolution simplifies significantly, and requires the use of only two non-elementary functions, the so-called growth supression factor at the linear level, and one new function at the second order level. We expect that the results will be useful in applications, for example, studying the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity on the large scale structure of the universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Simple expressions for second order density perturbations in standard cosmology

In this paper we present four simple expressions for the relativistic first and second order fractional density perturbations for $Λ$CDM cosmologies in different gauges: the Poisson, uniform curvature, total matter and synchronous gauges. A distinctive feature of our approach is the use of a canonical set of quadratic differential expressions involving an arbitrary spatial function, the so-called comoving curvature perturbation, to describe the spatial dependence, which enables us to unify, simplify and extend previous seemingly disparate results. The simple structure of the expressions makes the evolution of the density perturbations completely transparent and clearly displays the effect of the cosmological constant on the dynamics, namely that it stabilizes the perturbations. We expect that the results will be useful in applications, for example, studying the effects of primordial non-Gaussianity on the large scale structure of the universe.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

Asymptotic analysis of perturbed dust cosmologies to second order

Nonlinear perturbations of Friedmann-Lemaitre cosmologies with dust and a positive cosmological constant have recently attracted considerable attention. In this paper our first goal is to compare the evolution of the first and second order perturbations by determining their asymptotic behaviour at late times in ever-expanding models. We show that in the presence of spatial curvature K or a positive cosmological constant, the density perturbation approaches a finite limit both to first and second order, but the rate of approach depends on the model, being power law in the scale factor if the cosmological constant is positive but logarithmic if it is zero and and K<0. Scalar perturbations in general contain a growing and a decaying mode. We find, somewhat surprisingly, that if the cosmological constant is positive the decaying mode does not die away, i.e. it contributes on an equal footing as the growing mode to the asymptotic expression for the density perturbation. On the other hand, the future asymptotic regime of the Einstein-de Sitter universe (for which the cosmological constant and the spatial curvature are both zero) is completely different, as exemplified by the density perturbation which diverges; moreover, the second order perturbation diverges faster than the first order perturbation, which suggests that the Einstein-de Sitter universe is unstable to perturbations, and that the perturbation series do not converge towards the future. We conclude that the presence of spatial curvature or a cosmological constant stabilizes the perturbations. Our second goal is to derive an explicit expression for the second order density perturbation that can be used to study the effects of including a cosmological constant and spatial curvature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

A simplified structure for the second order cosmological perturbation equations

Increasingly accurate observations of the cosmic microwave background and the large scale distribution of galaxies necessitate the study of nonlinear perturbations of Friedmann-Lemaitre cosmologies, whose equations are notoriously complicated. In this paper we present a new derivation of the governing equations for second order perturbations within the framework of the metric-based approach that is minimal, as regards amount of calculation and length of expressions, and flexible, as regards choice of gauge and stress-energy tensor. Because of their generality and the simplicity of their structure our equations provide a convenient starting point for determining the behaviour of nonlinear perturbations of FL cosmologies with any given stress-energy content, using either the Poisson gauge or the uniform curvature gauge.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

Cosmological Perturbation Theory Revisited

Increasingly accurate observations are driving theoretical cosmology toward the use of more sophisticated descriptions of matter and the study of nonlinear perturbations of FL cosmologies, whose governing equations are notoriously complicated. Our goal in this paper is to formulate the governing equations for linear perturbation theory in a particularly simple and concise form in order to facilitate the extension to nonlinear perturbations. Our approach has several novel features. We show that the use of so-called intrinsic gauge invariants has two advantages. It naturally leads to: (i) a physically motivated choice of a gauge invariant associated with the matter density, and (ii) two distinct and complementary ways of formulating the evolution equations for scalar perturbations, associated with the work of Bardeen and of Kodama and Sasaki. In the first case the perturbed Einstein tensor gives rise to a second order (in time) linear differential operator, and in the second case to a pair of coupled first order (in time) linear differential operators. These operators are of fundamental importance in cosmological perturbation theory, since they provide the leading order terms in the governing equations for nonlinear perturbations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Scalar Cosmological Perturbations

Scalar perturbations of Friedmann-Lemaitre cosmologies can be analyzed in a variety of ways using Einstein's field equations, the Ricci and Bianchi identities, or the conservation equations for the stress-energy tensor, and possibly introducing a timelike reference congruence. The common ground is the use of gauge invariants derived from the metric tensor, the stress-energy tensor, or from vectors associated with a reference congruence, as basic variables. Although there is a complication in that there is no unique choice of gauge invariants, we will show that this can be used to advantage. With this in mind our first goal is to present an efficient way of constructing dimensionless gauge invariants associated with the tensors that are involved, and of determining their inter-relationships. Our second goal is to give a unified treatment of the various ways of writing the governing equations in dimensionless form using gauge-invariant variables, showing how simplicity can be achieved by a suitable choice of variables and normalization factors. Our third goal is to elucidate the connection between the metric-based approach and the so-called 1+3 gauge-invariant approach to cosmological perturbations. We restrict our considerations to linear perturbations, but our intent is to set the stage for the extension to second order perturbations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2006

Asymptotic silence-breaking singularities

We discuss three complementary aspects of scalar curvature singularities: asymptotic causal properties, asymptotic Ricci and Weyl curvature, and asymptotic spatial properties. We divide scalar curvature singularities into two classes: so-called asymptotically silent singularities and non-generic singularities that break asymptotic silence. The emphasis in this paper is on the latter class which have not been previously discussed. We illustrate the above aspects and concepts by describing the singularities of a number of representative explicit perfect fluid solutions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2003

Asymptotic isotropization in inhomogeneous cosmology

In this paper we investigate asymptotic isotropization. We derive the asymptotic dynamics of spatially inhomogeneous cosmological models with a perfect fluid matter source and a positive cosmological constant near the de Sitter equilibrium state at late times, and near the flat FL equilibrium state at early times. Our results show that there exists an open set of solutions approaching the de Sitter state at late times, consistent with the cosmic no-hair conjecture. On the other hand, solutions that approach the flat FL state at early times are special and admit a so-called isotropic initial singularity. For both classes of models the asymptotic expansion of the line element contains an arbitrary spatial metric at leading order, indicating asymptotic spatial inhomogeneity. We show, however, that in the asymptotic regimes this spatial inhomogeneity is significant only at super-horizon scales.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2003

The past attractor in inhomogeneous cosmology

We present a general framework for analyzing spatially inhomogeneous cosmological dynamics. It employs Hubble-normalized scale-invariant variables which are defined within the orthonormal frame formalism, and leads to the formulation of Einstein's field equations with a perfect fluid matter source as an autonomous system of evolution equations and constraints. This framework incorporates spatially homogeneous dynamics in a natural way as a special case, thereby placing earlier work on spatially homogeneous cosmology in a broader context, and allows us to draw on experience gained in that field using dynamical systems methods. One of our goals is to provide a precise formulation of the approach to the spacelike initial singularity in cosmological models, described heuristically by Belinski\vı, Khalatnikov and Lifshitz. Specifically, we construct an invariant set which we conjecture forms the local past attractor for the evolution equations. We anticipate that this new formulation will provide the basis for proving rigorous theorems concerning the asymptotic behavior of spatially inhomogeneous cosmological models.

gr-qc↗