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ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/iii/paper-312/2/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 312 2 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The collisionless Boltzmann equation is conservation of along the photon trajectory. To linear order, use the unperturbed trajectory when differentiating . Deflection of is first order and multiplies the first-order angular dependence of , while the background has no angular dependence; it therefore contributes only at second order. Similarly, the energy derivative of times the perturbed energy change is second order. ThusFor a nontrivial spectrum this identifies the linear Free-streaming photon Boltzmann equation:In Newtonian gauge in cosmology, substitute the specified scalar gravitational-redshift source to writeMultiply its angular average by four. Since , the photon angular temperature moments imply the photon continuity equationFor the photon Euler equation, multiply by and average. The source is , while the second angular moment isIt follows thatThe background energy density is spatially homogeneous, so no spatial derivative acts on . The minus sign of its anisotropic stress term follows from the PDF's convention. Switching to the conventional trace-free stress changes that term to a plus sign.
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