Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2026 / iii / Paper 310 / 4 / c

For a barotropic equation of state, $\delta P=c_s^2\delta \rho =c_s^2\bar{\rho }\delta$. A spatial Fourier mode of comoving wavenumber $k$ therefore satisfiesThe Jeans wavenumber is defined by equality of the pressure and self-gravity terms:For $k\gg k_J$, pressure dominates and produces acoustic oscillations whose amplitude is affected by Hubble friction. For $k\ll k_J$, self-gravity dominates and a growing mode develops: this is Jeans instability.