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In Synchronous gauge in cosmology with coordinates comoving with cold dark matter, the linearized Einstein field equations and matter conservation give the displayed density equation. Primes denote conformal time derivatives. The radiation term contains its pressure contribution and cannot be dropped on superhorizon scales merely because radiation oscillates after cosmological horizon entry.

For positive curvature and zero cosmological constant, the single-fluid Friedmann solution has a bang-to-crunch conformal time interval $2\pi /(1+3w)$ for $w\ge 0$. A radial null geodesic in FLRW spacetime travels that same great-circle comoving distance. Relative to a three-sphere circumference $2\pi$, it is $1/(1+3w)$ circuits: one for dust and one half for radiation, with the final point reached only in the singular-endpoint limit.

For a closed Friedmann equation normalized to $k{c}^2=1$, constant equation-of-state parameter $w$, and conformal time $\tau$, let $q=(1+3w)/2$. The cosmological continuity equation and Friedmann acceleration equation give ${\mathcal{H}}^{\prime }=-q(1+{\mathcal{H}}^2)$, where $\mathcal{H}=a^{\prime }/a$. For $q\ne 0$ this integrates to the stated scale factor on any interval where the sine is positive, with ${\alpha }^{2q}=8\pi G{\rho }_0/3$. For $w=-1/3$ the separate solution is $a=A{e}^{H_0\tau }$ with $H_0^2+1=8\pi G{\rho }_0/3$; the sine-power formula is inapplicable.

A positively curved pressureless matter universe with zero cosmological constant has the cycloid parametrization displayed above. In natural units, if the Friedmann equation is ${\dot{a}}^2=C/a-k$ with $C,k>0$, then $A=C/(2k)$ and $u=\sqrt{k}\tau$ for conformal time measured from the Big Bang. Substituting in $a^{\prime 2}=Ca-k{a}^2$ verifies the scale factor; integrating $dt=ad\tau$ gives cosmic time. The universe reaches maximum size at $u=\pi$ and recollapses into a Big Crunch at $u=2\pi$.

With positive curvature, zero cosmological constant and radiation density ${\rho }_0{a}^{-4}$ in units $8\pi G=1$, $A=\sqrt{{\rho }_0/3}$. The scale factor is positive for $0<\tau <\pi$, reaches its maximum at $\pi /2$, and has a Big Crunch at conformal time $\pi$ or proper time $2A$. This complements the closed matter-dominated Friedmann solution.

The conformal time $T=2\arctan (e^t)-\pi /2$ satisfies $\sin T=\tanh t$ and $\cos T=\mathrm{sech}t$. Multiplying the physical metric by ${\cos }^{2}T$ gives a finite conformal compactification with periodic spatial coordinate. Its past and future conformal boundaries are spacelike circles. Null geodesics have slopes $d\chi /dT=\pm 1$.

For conformal time $d\tau =dt/a$, the conformal Hubble parameter is $\mathcal{H}=a^{\prime }/a=aH=\dot{a}$, where primes and dots denote conformal and cosmic time derivatives respectively. Its inverse, in units $c=1$, is the comoving Hubble radius. It differs from the ordinary Hubble parameter by one factor of the scale factor.

For a perfect fluid in general relativity with constant equation-of-state parameter $w$, use conformal time $dt=ad\tau$ and the conformal Hubble parameter $\mathcal{H}=a^{\prime }/a=aH$. The Friedmann acceleration equation gives ${\mathcal{H}}^{\prime }=a\ddot{a}=-4\pi G{a}^2(1+3w)\rho /3$. The Friedmann equation eliminates $\rho$ and gives this Riccati equation. For positive energy density, $\alpha \ne 0$ and appropriately shifted conformal time, its usual branches are $\cot (\alpha \tau )$ for $k=1$, $1/(\alpha \tau )$ for $k=0$, and $\coth (\alpha \tau )$ for $k=-1$. Their scale factors are proportional to ${\sin }^{1/\alpha }(\alpha \tau )$, $(\alpha \tau {)}^{1/\alpha }$ and ${\sinh }^{1/\alpha }(\alpha \tau )$ respectively on intervals where the bases are positive. At $\alpha =0$ the conformal Hubble parameter is constant and the separate solution is $a=A{e}^{h\tau }$.

A deliberately restricted forced harmonic oscillator shows two effects of the baryon loading parameter without duplicating the full photon Boltzmann hierarchy. Use conformal time $d\eta =dt/a$ in seconds, a comoving wavenumber $k$ in inverse metres, constant $R=3{\rho }_b/(4{\rho }_{\gamma })$, and equal constant dimensionless Newtonian gauge gravitational potentials $\Phi =\Psi \ne 0$. The energy densities ${\rho }_b$ and ${\rho }_{\gamma }$ use the same units. Neglect expansion drag, Silk damping and evolution of the potentials. The photon-baryon sound speed is $c_s=c/\sqrt{3(1+R)}$. Writing ${\Theta }_0$ for the photon monopole temperature perturbation, the photon-baryon acoustic oscillator reduces toFor $y=({\Theta }_0+\Psi )/\Psi$ this gives the displayed forced equation. Constant loading and the neglected expansion drag make this a local teaching model, not a self-consistent expanding cosmology with $R$ fixed forever.

Choose $y(0)=1/3$ and $y^{\prime }(0)=0$, the static matter-era Sachs-Wolfe combination normalized by $\Psi$. With $q=k{c}_s\eta$, direct substitution givesAt $R=0$, successive extrema have equal magnitudes $1/3$. At the stipulated $R=0.6$, $y(\pi )=-23/15$ whereas $y(2\pi )=1/3$. The shifted equilibrium $y=-R$ makes alternating extrema unequal. This is an elementary illustration of how the baryon loading parameter changes acoustic amplitudes; these extrema are neither measured peak heights nor a complete Cosmic microwave background power spectrum. Comparing curves at fixed $q$ isolates the response; at fixed $k$ and $\eta$, increasing $R$ also reduces the photon-baryon sound speed and hence the phase.

For example, holding $c{\eta }_{\ast }=300\mathrm{Mpc}$ gives sound horizons $r_s=173.2\mathrm{Mpc}$ at $R=0$ and $136.9\mathrm{Mpc}$ at $R=0.6$. Their ratio is $1/\sqrt{1.6}$. Each term of the forced equation has units of inverse seconds squared because $y$ and $R$ are dimensionless and $k{c}_s$ is an inverse time. In the actual photon-baryon fluid, $R$ grows with the scale factor and the sound horizon is the integral of the evolving photon-baryon sound speed.

In units $8\pi G=1$, a free homogeneous scalar has $\rho =P={\dot{\varphi }}_0^2/2$ and therefore a stiff equation of state. Its equation gives $a^2{\varphi }_0^{\prime }=\text{constant}$, while the Friedmann equation gives $3{\mathcal{H}}^2={\varphi }_0^{\prime 2}/2$. The displayed contracting branch satisfies both equations for negative conformal time. Constant normalizations and an additive scalar shift can be restored.

For a comoving observer in a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker metric, a finite future conformal time interval gives an event horizon at the displayed comoving radius. Its physical radius at time $t$ is $a(t){\chi }_{\mathrm{eh}}(t)$.

A light signal sent from a comoving observer to a comoving reflector at separation $\chi$, and immediately returned, consumes conformal time $2\chi$. The supremum of the initial physical reflector distances allowing a return is therefore half the cosmological event horizon radius. Equality generally requires infinite return time; finite-time reception requires a strictly smaller distance. For a cosmological domain wall network with $a\propto t^2$, the supremum is $t/2=1/H$.

Approximately constant positive Hubble parameter gives a nearly de Sitter spacetime expansion in flat slicing. Its scale factor can be approximated by $a=-1/(H\tau )$ with negative conformal time increasing toward zero. Slow variation of the expansion rate limits the accuracy of this approximation.

In a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker metric with initial conformal time zero, two comoving worldlines at separation $d$ can exchange a one-way light signal by time $\eta$ only if $d\le \eta$. Their past light cones overlap if $d\le 2\eta$: a common event halfway between them can influence both. These are different statements. For opposite emission events observed at conformal time ${\eta }_0$, their separation is $2({\eta }_0-{\eta }_e)$, so the respective thresholds are ${\eta }_e\ge 2{\eta }_0/3$ and ${\eta }_e\ge {\eta }_0/2$.

For two comoving observers in an Einstein-de Sitter universe, light observed at redshift $z$ today fixes their separation through the past null geodesic. A newly sent signal needs the same comoving distance for every one-way leg. Since $a=(t/t_0{)}^{2/3}$, each leg adds a fixed conformal time interval, producing the displayed reception time after $n$ legs when replies are immediate. At $z=1$ the first round-trip wait is $[(3-\sqrt{2}{)}^3-1]t_0$. There is no finite count limit because future conformal time diverges, though infinitely many legs require infinite cosmic time.

A flat universe with separately conserved pressureless matter and a coasting fluid satisfies $a^{\prime 2}=H_0^2[{\Omega }_{m}a+(1-{\Omega }_m)a^2]$. For both densities positive, choosing the Big Bang at zero conformal time gives $a={\Omega }_m[\cosh (\alpha \tau )-1]/[2(1-{\Omega }_m)]$, with $\alpha =H_0\sqrt{1-{\Omega }_m}$. Physical time follows by integrating $dt=ad\tau$. The hyperbolic parametrization is formally like the open dust solution, but the spatial geometry here is flat.

For a spatially flat FLRW metric containing conserved pressureless matter and radiation in cosmology, with $a_0=1$ and conformal time zero at the Big Bang, the Friedmann equation gives $a^{\prime 2}=H_0^2({\Omega }_{M,0}a+{\Omega }_{R,0})$. Separating the positive square root gives the displayed scale factor. At matter-radiation equality, $a_{\mathrm{eq}}={\Omega }_{R,0}/{\Omega }_{M,0}$ and ${\eta }_{\mathrm{eq}}=2(\sqrt{2}-1)\sqrt{{\Omega }_{R,0}}/(H_0{\Omega }_{M,0})$. Here the prime denotes differentiation with respect to $\eta$, not $c\eta$.

Assume all relevant modes begin outside the horizon at common conformal time ${\tau }_i$, grow as ${\tau }^2$ until radiation-era horizon entry, then freeze until matter-radiation equality, and again grow as ${\tau }^2$ in matter domination. With horizon entry ${\tau }_h=2\pi /k$, $k_{\mathrm{eq}}=2\pi /{\tau }_{\mathrm{eq}}$ and final time ${\tau }_0$, direct multiplication of the growth factors gives the displayed transfer with $G=({\tau }_0/{\tau }_i{)}^2$. A primordial density power spectrum $P_i=Ak$ becomes $P_0=A{G}^{2}k$ below equality wavenumber and $A{G}^2{k}_{\mathrm{eq}}^4{k}^{-3}$ above it. This approximation neglects the true logarithmic radiation-era matter growth, baryonic acoustic structure and late acceleration; a conventionally normalized transfer divides out $G$.

The Harrison-Peebles-Zeldovich spectrum is the scale-invariant primordial growing-mode spectrum: in a fixed conformal time slice before cosmological horizon crossing, the matter power spectrum is proportional to ${\tau }^{4}k$ in the usual growing-mode density convention. At horizon entry ${\tau }_H\sim k^{-1}$, its dimensionless mass variance $k^{3}P(k,{\tau }_H)$ is independent of $k$. This statement fixes a spectral shape, not its amplitude. Radiation domination subsequently suppresses small-scale density growth through the Mészáros effect, producing the asymptotic matter power spectrum $P\propto k^{-3}{\ln }^2(k/k_{\mathrm{eq}})$ after matter-radiation equality.

A horizon-length patch on the matter-radiation equality surface has physical size $a_{\mathrm{eq}}{\tau }_{\mathrm{eq}}$ in a flat universe with conformal time measured from the Big Bang. Dividing by its angular diameter distance $a_{\mathrm{eq}}({\tau }_0-{\tau }_{\mathrm{eq}})$ gives its small angular size. For the radiation-matter scale factor in conformal time, this is $(\sqrt{2}-1)\sqrt{{\Omega }_{r,0}}/[1-\sqrt{2{\Omega }_{r,0}}]$. A patch diameter is twice the angle associated with one horizon radius. The particle horizon is an integral over past evolution and must not be silently replaced by the instantaneous Hubble radius.