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A damped mode $\delta =e^{-k^2/k_D^2}(A\cos q+B\sin q)$ does not alone imply oscillations in its ensemble power spectrum. Averaging its modulus squared gives the displayed formula. Equal independent initial variances, $P_A=P_B$ and $P_{AB}=0$, erase the oscillatory variance through ${\cos }^{2}q+{\sin }^{2}q=1$. A coherent initial phase, as supplied by a regular growing adiabatic mode, selects one common oscillator phase and retains acoustic peaks. Its leading density and velocity oscillations are a quarter-period apart, and angular projection also preserves their correlated contribution.

There is a conformal-time normalization error in the printed density parameter. For physical background density, $H=\mathcal{H}/a$, so the cosmological density parameter isThe printed definition lacks the numerator's $a^2$. The scale factor in a conformal-time density parameter is essential for ${\Omega }_c\simeq 1$ in the intended flat matter-dominated approximation.

During matter domination, pressureless matter supplies both the expansion and the gravitational source: $a\propto {\tau }^2$, $\mathcal{H}=2/\tau$ and ${\Omega }_c\simeq 1$ when CDM is taken to constitute that matter. ThusTry ${\delta }_c\propto {\tau }^p$. Its characteristic polynomial is $p(p-1)+2p-6=(p-2)(p+3)$, givingRadiation-era photon pressure and radiation perturbations affect the metric source, and matter alone does not dominate the expansion, so this matter-only closure and its power laws are inadequate before equality. At late acceleration the growth also ceases to follow $a\propto {\tau }^2$ and slows. The question's claim that the differential form itself is valid only in matter domination is too strong: for subhorizon pressureless matter with smooth dark energy it still applies with the correct time-dependent $\mathcal{H}$ and ${\Omega }_m$. Indeed, the pressureless growth equation in proper time is $\ddot{\delta }+2H\dot{\delta }-4\pi G{\bar{\rho }}_m\delta =0$ for smooth dark energy; substituting $d/d{t}_{\mathrm{proper}}=a^{-1}d/d\tau$ gives ${\delta }^{\prime \prime }+\mathcal{H}{\delta }^{\prime }-4\pi G{a}^2{\bar{\rho }}_m\delta =0$, the same conformal differential form. It is the matter-dominated coefficients and simple solutions that are restricted to the stated interval.

Outside the radiation-era horizon, the regular growing adiabatic mode has nearly constant curvature, while its comoving-synchronous density perturbation begins at gradient order $k^2{\tau }^2$. Equivalently its metric trace grows as ${\tau }^2$ and the volume relation in (i) gives ${\delta }_c\propto {\tau }^2$. This is a relativistic superhorizon solution, not instantaneous Newtonian communication between causally disconnected regions. Inside the horizon, pressure makes the dominant radiation oscillate and its gravitational potential decay, while CDM self-gravity is still subdominant. CDM then grows only weakly, logarithmically in the more accurate Mészáros effect; the stated freezing approximation replaces that slow growth by a constant.

Assume all modes being compared start outside the horizon at common ${\tau }_i$, and define ${\tau }_h=2\pi /k$, $k_{\mathrm{eq}}=2\pi /{\tau }_{\mathrm{eq}}$ and $G_0=({\tau }_0/{\tau }_i{)}^2$. Modes with $k\le k_{\mathrm{eq}}$ never undergo the radiation-era frozen interval, so their growth is $G_0$. For $k>k_{\mathrm{eq}}$, multiply growth before horizon entry, freezing until equality, and subsequent matter growth:Thus the frozen-radiation approximation to the matter transfer function isThis $T$ includes total growth because the question defines it directly between two density contrasts. The usual transfer normalized to one on large scales is $T/G_0$.

Power is the variance of a Fourier amplitude, so $P_0=|T{|}^2{P}_i$. The prescribed primordial density spectrum givesIt turns over at the comoving equality-horizon scale $2\pi /k_{\mathrm{eq}}={\tau }_{\mathrm{eq}}$. The turnover and reduced small-scale growth help organize the broad spectrum of galaxy clustering, clusters and superclusters; they do not select one unique object size. The dimensionless power $k^3{P}_0/(2{\pi }^2)$ is approximately flat above equality in this crude approximation, so a decreasing dimensional spectrum does not imply no small-scale structures. Restoring radiation-era logarithmic growth adds logarithmic corrections to the small-scale tail. Baryon acoustic features, a smooth equality transition, late growth suppression and nonlinear halo formation are absent from this simple linear broken-power approximation.

Let $q_{\ast }=k{\tau }_{\mathrm{dec}}/\sqrt{3}$ and $E_D=\exp (-k^2/k_D^2)$ at last scattering. For random oscillator amplitudes, define spectra $P_A,P_B$ and cross-spectrum $P_{AB}$ using the same Fourier normalization as the density spectrum. Averaging the solution's squared modulus givesConsequently the intrinsic-temperature source has variance spectrum $P_{{\delta }_{\gamma }}/16$. A common acoustic phase is necessary for pronounced peaks in the variance. Equal independent sine/cosine amplitudes would erase them. A regular growing adiabatic mode begins with negligible velocity outside the sound horizon and selects approximately the cosine phase, $B\simeq 0$, preserving a ${\cos }^2{q}_{\ast }$ sequence. This illustrates coherent initial phases are needed for acoustic variance peaks.

From continuity, ${\theta }_{\gamma }=3{\delta }_{\gamma }^{\prime }/(4k^2)$. Ignoring the small damping correction in this velocity relation, the coherent cosine solution givesThe Doppler CMB anisotropy source therefore has directional variance $3{\mu }^2{P}_A{E}_D^2{\sin }^2{q}_{\ast }/16$, where $\mu =\hat{\mathbf{n}}\cdot \hat{\mathbf{k}}$. Its velocity maxima lie between density maxima: compression and bulk motion are a quarter acoustic period apart.

Angular projection must also be included. Let ${\chi }_{\ast }={\tau }_0-{\tau }_{\mathrm{dec}}$, assume a thin last-scattering surface, and choose the emission phase $e^{ik{\chi }_{\ast }\mu }$. The coherent intrinsic-plus-Doppler radial response is proportional toThe derivative follows from $i\mu e^{ix\mu }={\partial }_x{e}^{ix\mu }$ and the velocity sign above. A reversed line-of-sight convention reverses the corresponding Doppler sign consistently. The CMB angular power spectrum is $C_{\ell }=(2/\pi )\int k^{2}dk{P}_A(k)|{\Theta }_{\ell }(k){|}^2$ in this simplified model. Squaring the combined response keeps its correlated density–velocity cross term; adding two independent angular powers would discard that correlation. The derivative Bessel projection also spreads the Doppler contribution differently from the density contribution.

The sound horizon here is $r_s\simeq {\tau }_{\mathrm{dec}}/\sqrt{3}$. Intrinsic acoustic extrema occur near $k{r}_s=n\pi$, mapping roughly to ${\ell }_n\simeq n\pi {\chi }_{\ast }/r_s$, with interleaved velocity extrema and projection broadening. Cosmic microwave background diffusion damping suppresses both contributions exponentially at $k\gtrsim k_D$, or multipoles $\ell \gtrsim k_D{\chi }_{\ast }$. Modes outside the sound horizon have no completed acoustic oscillation.

The metric integral represents gravitational redshift, including contributions that in another gauge are separated into endpoint Sachs-Wolfe effects and Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effects. It is not correct to call the entire synchronous metric integral only a late-time integrated effect. Large-scale metric/curvature fluctuations remain important where photon pressure cannot redistribute matter causally and produce the broad large-angle signal rather than just the pressure-oscillation sequence. Potential evolution during radiation-to-matter transition also drives and shifts acoustic amplitudes near horizon entry; late accelerating-era evolution adds a large-angle integrated signal. These effects are excluded by the oscillator's instruction to ignore metric perturbations. Even if the Newtonian-gauge potential is constant in matter domination, synchronous $h_{ij}^{\prime }$ need not vanish, and the complete observable requires the consistent density, velocity and metric combination.

For an adiabatic mode the perturbation of baryon number per photon is zero. Since $n_{\gamma }\propto T^3$, ${\rho }_{\gamma }\propto T^4$ and nonrelativistic ${\rho }_b\propto n_b$, the common temperature/entropy perturbation gives ${\delta }_b=3\delta T/T$ and ${\delta }_{\gamma }=4\delta T/T$. Hence ${\delta }_{\gamma }=4{\delta }_b/3$.

Let $q=a{n}_e{\sigma }_T$, $\mathcal{H}=a^{\prime }/a$ and $R=4{\bar{\rho }}_{\gamma }/(3{\bar{\rho }}_b)$. In tight coupling, the relative velocity is small but its drag force need not vanish, so it must be eliminated before setting the two velocities equal. Multiply the photon Euler equation by $R$ and add the baryon Euler equation. Their opposite drag terms cancel, even with the common drag-prefactor typo in the printed equations. The result at common velocity potential $\theta$ isTogether with continuity this givesThe same photon-baryon sound speed follows from $\delta P=\delta {\rho }_{\gamma }/3$ and $\delta \rho =\delta {\rho }_{\gamma }+\delta {\rho }_b$: using the adiabatic density relation gives $\delta P/\delta \rho =c_s^2$.

The Euler bracket in the original PDF prints $a/a^{\prime }$; the derivation requires $a^{\prime }/a=\mathcal{H}$. Its baryon continuity equation also needs a prime on ${\delta }_b$. Finally, for the defined velocity potential $\mathbf{v}=i\mathbf{k}\theta$, physical Thomson drag is $-q({\theta }_{\gamma }-{\theta }_b)$, without an extra $k^{-2}$: taking a velocity divergence introduces $-k^2$ on both sides, which cancels on returning to the potential equation. This is photon opacity normalization for a velocity potential. These errors should not be concealed by reproducing a dimensionally inconsistent equation.

A superhorizon density contrast is gauge dependent. The stated growth laws describe the growing adiabatic mode in the comoving-gauge density contrast (and the corresponding usual synchronous growing mode), not an arbitrary coordinate density perturbation. Work with a flat, single-fluid background with constant $w=p/\rho$, negligible anisotropic stress, $c=1$, and a comoving Fourier wavenumber $K$.

Here is a derivation from the linear gravitational constraints and evolution equation. For an adiabatic mode, the scalar gravitational potential $\Phi$ obeysPrimes denote conformal time derivatives. The Friedmann equation gives $a\propto {\tau }^{2/(1+3w)}$ and $\mathcal{H}=2/[(1+3w)\tau ]$, so the bracket vanishes. On superhorizon scales, $K\tau \ll 1$, the leading solutions are a constant potential and a decaying solution proportional to ${\tau }^{-(5+3w)/(1+3w)}$. Keeping the growing adiabatic branch therefore makes $\Phi$ time independent to leading order.

Combining the time-time and time-space linear Einstein constraints eliminates the coordinate velocity and gives the comoving density constraintThis is the relativistic comoving constraint, not a subhorizon Newtonian approximation. Since $\rho \propto a^{-3(1+w)}$, it implies $\Delta \propto (a^2{H}^2{)}^{-1}\propto a^{1+3w}$. Also $a\propto t^{2/[3(1+w)]}$ in cosmic time, whenceBoth epochs here mean their respective leading growing solution; matching through matter-radiation equality requires the full two-component evolution. The constant superhorizon curvature or potential is consistent with this growth because the comoving density perturbation carries the additional factor $(K/aH{)}^2$.

In the tight-coupling approximation, repeated Thomson scattering drives the photon distribution toward isotropy in the local baryon rest frame. At linear order a temperature perturbation gives a monopole and a small boost gives only a dipole. A photon propagating along $\mathbf{n}$ has rest-frame energy $p(1-\mathbf{n}\cdot \mathbf{v})$, soSince the rest-frame density contrast is ${\delta }_{\gamma }=4{\Theta }_{\mathrm{rest}}$, the initial photon brightness perturbation isThe quadrupole and higher photon temperature multipoles are small when the conformal collision rate $\kappa =a{n}_e{\sigma }_T$ greatly exceeds both $k$ and $\mathcal{H}$. For example the quadrupole is suppressed by a factor of order $k/\kappa$ relative to the dipole. Instantaneous decoupling idealizes this strongly coupled state as the initial data for collisionless propagation; finite mean free path and polarization corrections are omitted from that initial truncation.

Multiply the synchronous photon brightness equation by $e^{ik\mu \tau }$ and integrate from ${\tau }_{\ast }$ to ${\tau }_0$. The line-of-sight solution for free-streaming photons isThe phase is essential: it specifies the emission point and the points traversed by the ray. In real space define $\mathbf{x}(\tau )={\mathbf{x}}_0-\mathbf{n}({\tau }_0-\tau )$ and ${\mathbf{x}}_{\ast }=\mathbf{x}({\tau }_{\ast })$. Dividing by four gives the synchronous Sachs-Wolfe line-of-sight formula,The spatial arguments suppressed in a shorthand version must be understood in this retarded sense; evaluating the emission terms at ${\mathbf{x}}_0$ instead would discard free streaming. Here $\mathbf{n}$ is propagation direction. The observer-to-source direction on the sky is $-\mathbf{n}$, explaining the opposite Doppler sign often used with that convention. The formula describes the synchronous-frame observer; an additional observer peculiar velocity contributes a dipole.

The first term is the intrinsic temperature perturbation at emission, since ${\delta }_{\gamma }=4\Theta$. The second is the Doppler CMB anisotropy from the plasma bulk velocity. The third is gravitational frequency shifting by the time-dependent spatial metric along the ray, and can include scalar and tensor metric contributions. In scalar Newtonian gauge, rearranging that metric contribution supplies the emission gravitational potential as well as the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, up to the observer terms. It should not be identified solely with the integrated Sachs-Wolfe term: a constant Newtonian potential need not give a vanishing synchronous metric integral.

On large angles, modes are outside or comparable to the sound horizon at emission. For the growing adiabatic mode during matter domination, the intrinsic and emission-potential contributions give the ordinary Sachs-Wolfe effect, ${\Theta }_0+\Psi =\Psi /3$ in Newtonian variables. Velocity is a gradient effect, of order $k{\tau }_{\ast }\Psi$ on superhorizon scales, so its Doppler contribution is suppressed there. A scale-invariant primordial curvature spectrum produces approximately the familiar large-angle plateau in $\ell (\ell +1)C_{\ell }$. Evolving potentials during radiation-to-matter transition or late acceleration can add integrated gravitational anisotropy; constant matter-era scalar potentials do not generate a genuine scalar integrated Sachs-Wolfe source.

On smaller angles, the photon-baryon fluid has undergone acoustic oscillations. Its density and velocity are approximately in cosine and sine phases, producing acoustic structure in the intrinsic and Doppler sources and their projection onto angular multipoles. Silk damping suppresses sufficiently short wavelengths before decoupling, while the finite width of last scattering also smooths the real small-angle signal. These corrections refine the instantaneous-decoupling model rather than follow from a collisionless equation alone. The separate intrinsic, velocity and metric pieces depend on gauge convention; the complete observed anisotropy, including the appropriate observer terms and removal of the unobservable mean, is the physical quantity.

For a single barotropic perfect fluid in general relativity, the perturbations obey $\delta P=w\delta \rho =w\bar{\rho }\delta$. This adiabatic closure is needed: constant background $P/\rho$ alone would not eliminate an independent entropy perturbation. The absence of scalar anisotropic stress allows the common potential used in Newtonian gauge in cosmology.

Substituting the density constraint into the pressure equation gives the gravitational potential evolution of a barotropic fluidSince $a\propto {\tau }^{2/(1+3w)}$, the conformal Hubble parameter is $\mathcal{H}=2/[(1+3w)\tau ]$. The bracket cancels identically, leavingFor a Fourier transform mode, ${\nabla }^2$ becomes $-k^2$.

During radiation domination, $w=1/3$ and ${\Phi }_k^{\prime \prime }+4{\Phi }_k^{\prime }/\tau +(k^2/3){\Phi }_k=0$. Set $x=k\tau /\sqrt{3}$ and write $\Phi =u/x$. The resulting equation is $u_{xx}+2u_x/x+(1-2/x^2)u=0$, so the two Spherical Bessel functions in the hint giveAt $x\ll 1$, the two solutions approach a constant and a mode proportional to ${\tau }^{-3}$. The regular adiabatic mode, normalized to its primordial potential, isAfter entry into the sound horizon, $x\gg 1$, the potential oscillates at cosmological sound speed $1/\sqrt{3}$ with envelope $x^{-2}\propto a^{-2}$. The Hubble radius and sound horizon differ by the sound-speed factor; outside the Hubble radius the regular potential is constant, while well inside it radiation supports acoustic oscillations.

During matter domination, $w=0$ gives ${\Phi }_k^{\prime \prime }+6{\Phi }_k^{\prime }/\tau =0$ at every wavenumber. HenceThe growing density mode has a constant potential both outside and inside the Hubble radius; the other potential mode decays. Pressureless matter has zero cosmological sound speed, so horizon entry does not produce the radiation acoustic decay. These formulas cover both independent solutions, while the subsequent sketches select the regular adiabatic growing mode.

A light inflaton behaves approximately as a scalar field in de Sitter space while a wavelength is well inside the Hubble radius. Its Bunch-Davies vacuum has quantum fluctuations. Cosmic inflation stretches each Fourier mode until $k=aH$, after which its physical wavelength exceeds the Hubble radius. The nearly constant growing field mode has a typical fluctuation per logarithmic wavenumber interval $\delta \varphi \sim H/(2\pi )$.

A field fluctuation changes the local position on the rolling background trajectory. Neighboring regions therefore reach the same field value, and the end of inflation, at slightly different times. A clock displacement of magnitude $|\delta \varphi /\dot{\varphi }|$ becomes a difference in local expansion of order $H|\delta \varphi /\dot{\varphi }|$. Equivalently, in a conventional sign choice the comoving curvature perturbation is related to the field fluctuation on spatially flat slices byChanging the sign convention for spatial curvature changes the sign of $\mathcal{R}$, but not its spectrum. This is the inflaton clock-shift origin of curvature perturbations. For a single-field slow-roll attractor there is no independent entropy mode. On a super-Hubble scale, gradient terms are negligible and the superhorizon conservation of single-field comoving curvature preserves the growing adiabatic mode, so fluctuations generated near exit persist as primordial curvature perturbations. This conservation requires the attractor and adiabatic assumptions; a freely chosen non-attractor background would not have the same conclusion.

An adiabatic mode corresponds locally to a common displacement along the background history. Its density changes obey $\delta {\rho }_i/{\dot{\bar{\rho }}}_i=\delta t$ for every component. The cosmological perfect-fluid continuity equation then implies that ${\Delta }_i/(1+w_i)$ is common to all fluids. Thus, in the common comoving gauge in cosmology relevant to the growing superhorizon mode,Equivalently, the relative entropy perturbation ${\Delta }_c-(3/4){\Delta }_r$ vanishes. A common time-slicing shift preserves this relation because it changes both normalized density perturbations by the same amount.

The flat background Friedmann equation gives $4\pi G{a}^2\bar{\rho }=(3/2){\mathcal{H}}^2$. During radiation domination, $\mathcal{H}=1/\tau$ and the matter background is negligible. Substituting the adiabatic relation into the density equation therefore givesWith ${\Delta }_c\propto {\tau }^p$, the indicial equation is $p^2=4$, so the modes are ${\tau }^2$ and ${\tau }^{-2}$.

During matter domination, $\mathcal{H}=2/\tau$ and the radiation background is negligible. The same calculation giveswhose indicial equation is $p^2+p-6=(p-2)(p+3)=0$. Its modes are ${\tau }^2$ and ${\tau }^{-3}$. Thus the superhorizon growing density mode of adiabatic matter and radiation satisfies ${\Delta }_c\propto {\tau }^2$ in both eras. The common conformal-time exponent does not imply the same scale-factor dependence: it is ${\Delta }_c\propto a^2$ in the radiation era and ${\Delta }_c\propto a$ in the matter era.

Applying $ϵ=b_i(t)x^i$ to $A_{\mu }=0$ givesIts field strength vanishes, so it is a large gauge transformation of the background. To arise as the zero-momentum limit of a physical transverse perturbation, $b_i(t)$ must obey the zero-momentum vector equation of motion. In the variables used in the question this iswith a constant growing solution and a decaying solution proportional to ${\int }^{t}d{t}^{\prime }/a^3(t^{\prime })$. This condition makes the large gauge mode an adiabatic mode that can be continued to small nonzero momentum.