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A small direction-dependent temperature change $T=\bar{T}(1+\Theta )$ shifts a thermal spectrum according to $\bar{f}(ϵ/(1+\Theta ))=\bar{f}(ϵ)-\Theta ϵ{\bar{f}}^{\prime }(ϵ)$ at first order. Hence $\boxed{\Theta =\delta T/\bar{T}}$ is the angular photon temperature perturbation. For a general spectrum the same ansatz describes an energy-independent brightness dilation; a literal thermodynamic temperature interpretation additionally assumes a thermal shape without spectral distortions.

Use $E=ϵ/a$ in the tetrad stress-energy tensor. The background photon energy density isIntegration by parts gives $-\int dϵ{ϵ}^4{\bar{f}}^{\prime }=4\int dϵ{ϵ}^3\bar{f}$, assuming the boundary term vanishes. Thus each directional energy perturbation is four times its temperature perturbation. Writing $⟨\cdot {⟩}_{\Omega }=(4\pi {)}^{-1}\int d\Omega$, we haveIn the paper's convention for photon angular temperature moments, there is no $(2\ell +1)$ factor multiplying ${\Theta }_{\ell }$. Legendre polynomial orthogonality gives $⟨\Theta {⟩}_{\Omega }={\Theta }_0$ and $⟨e^i\Theta {⟩}_{\Omega }=-i{\hat{k}}^i{\Theta }_1/3$. Comparing with the stated density and velocity conventions yieldsFor completeness, $⟨e^i{e}^j{P}_2(\hat{\mathbf{k}}\cdot \mathbf{e}){⟩}_{\Omega }=({\hat{k}}^i{\hat{k}}^j-{\delta }^{ij}/3)/5$. The $(-i{)}^2$ quadrupole phase then gives $\boxed{{\Pi }_{\gamma }=-3{\Theta }_2/5}$. These moment relations are photon angular temperature moments and keep the anisotropic stress convention consistent with the subsequent hierarchy.

The temporal-temporal component of the photon stress-energy tensor in a local orthonormal tetrad. For an isotropic one-particle distribution function expressed using comoving energy $ϵ=aE$, it is ${\bar{\rho }}_{\gamma }=4\pi a^{-4}\int dϵ{ϵ}^3\bar{f}(ϵ)$. A thermal photon temperature perturbation gives a first-order directional energy perturbation four times its fractional temperature change. Boundary conditions on the distribution justify this factor through integration by parts.