Cosmological Euler equation in synchronous gauge (${\partial }_t[(\bar{\rho }+\bar{P})u]+3H(\bar{\rho }+\bar{P})u+\delta P+{\nabla }^2{\pi }^S=0$)

For scalar perturbations in cosmic time with $d{s}^2=-d{t}^2+a^2({\delta }_{ij}+h_{ij})d{x}^{i}d{x}^j$, define the covariant fluid velocity potential $u$ by $\delta u_i={\partial }_{i}u$. The linear momentum density is $T^0{}_i=(\bar{\rho }+\bar{P}){\partial }_{i}u$. Normalize scalar anisotropic stress bywhere derivatives inside these parentheses are Cartesian comoving derivatives. Then ${\partial }_j{\pi }^j{}_i=2{\partial }_i{\nabla }^2\Pi /(3a^2)$. Spatial stress-energy conservation gives, for nonzero scalar Fourier modes,Writing ${\pi }^S=2\Pi /(3a^2)$ reproduces the form with ${\nabla }^2{\pi }^S$; the coefficient depends on that stress normalization. The time derivative acts on the entire momentum-density product, not only on $u$.

For pressureless matter with zero scalar stress, background $\dot{\bar{\rho }}+3H\bar{\rho }=0$ reduces the equation to $\dot{u}=0$. The physical peculiar velocity is $\mathbf{v}=\nabla u/a$ and therefore decays as $a^{-1}$. This checks the difference between covariant velocity potential and physical velocity and the expansion factor in the conservative equation.