Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-astrophysics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2022/6/d/solution

For conserved nonrelativistic dark matter and radiation, and , so obeys . Denote differentiation with respect to by a prime. Then
The supplied Friedmann equations imply
Substitution in the linear growth equation and division by give the Mészáros equation
For , and , making the two remaining terms cancel exactly. For reduction of order, put and . The equation reduces to , whence
Using the supplied antiderivative and reversing an irrelevant overall sign gives the independent solution
Its Wronskian is . The asymptotic expansions are
Thus subhorizon dark matter during radiation domination has constant and logarithmic modes, rather than the superhorizon growth of b. A combination with negative supplies positive logarithmic growth. During matter domination, the growing mode is proportional to , agreeing with b, while the second mode decays as . These results neglect subhorizon radiation clustering; the Mészáros equation is the approximation stated in the question, not a full photon–matter perturbation system through horizon entry.

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