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For regular adiabatic initial conditions on superhorizon scales during radiation domination, the unweighted neutrino Boltzmann hierarchy gives ${\Theta }_1=\psi k\eta /2$ and ${\Theta }_2=\psi (k\eta {)}^2/6$. With $f_{\nu }={\bar{\rho }}_{\nu }/({\bar{\rho }}_{\nu }+{\bar{\rho }}_{\gamma })$ and neutrinos the only source of scalar anisotropic stress, the trace-free Einstein field equations gives $\varphi =(1+2f_{\nu }/5)\psi$. For the sign convention $\mathcal{R}=-\varphi -\psi /2$,

In a flat universe containing separately conserved radiation in cosmology and pressureless matter, the Friedmann equation becomes $(a^{\prime }{)}^2=H_0^2({\Omega }_{r,0}+{\Omega }_{m,0}a)$ in conformal time. Setting $a=0$ at $\tau =0$ gives the stated quadratic-plus-linear scale factor. The linear term controls radiation domination and the quadratic term controls matter domination. The formula presumes $a_0=1$, ${\Omega }_{r,0}+{\Omega }_{m,0}=1$ and no cosmological constant.

In the idealization that subhorizon cold matter freezes during radiation domination, early-entering modes have an entry density of order the primordial curvature, retain it until equality, and then share the same matter-era growth factor. Their density-per-curvature transfer becomes approximately independent of $k$. Matching this plateau to the matter-era $k^2$ transfer gives the displayed sharp-transition model, with its high-$k$ coefficient dependent on the matching convention. A scale-invariant curvature spectrum then gives density power proportional to $k$ below equality and $k^{-3}$ above it. Actual cold matter grows logarithmically in the radiation era, adding the familiar high-$k$ logarithms of the Mészáros effect.

During radiation domination, $a\propto \tau$ and $8\pi G{\rho }_R{a}^2=3/{\tau }^2$. The adiabatic initial conditions reduce the CDM density equation in a matter-radiation universe to ${\delta }_C^{\prime \prime }+{\delta }_C^{\prime }/\tau -4{\delta }_C/{\tau }^2=0$. Its Euler-Cauchy equation powers are two and minus two. The growing solution is the displayed one, in the stated CDM-comoving synchronous gauge.

In the leading radiation domination limit, neglect $k^2{\delta }_r$ and the matter contribution to gravity. The radiation equation gives $S^{\prime \prime }=0$. Substitution into ${\delta }_c^{\prime \prime }+{\delta }_c^{\prime }/\tau =3{\delta }_r/{\tau }^2$ givesThus adiabatic initial conditions select both $S_0=0$ and $S_1=0$, leaving the growing and decaying power-law modes. The four constants describe the leading supplied coupled system; regularity and additional initial Einstein field equations constraints can further restrict their physical interpretation.

In deep radiation domination, an oscillatory radiation density source in the matter equation has order ${\Delta }_r/{\tau }^2$ and frequency of order $k$. Its rapidly varying particular response is therefore of order ${\Delta }_r/(k\tau {)}^2$. For $k\tau \gg 1$ it does not control the secular matter growth, though forcing near horizon entry sets the constant and logarithmic homogeneous amplitudes.

A residual synchronous time displacement ${\xi }^0=C(\mathbf{x})/a$ changes a fluid density contrast by $-{\bar{\rho }}^{\prime }{\xi }^0/\bar{\rho }$. For constant equation of state this gives the displayed mode: it scales as ${\tau }^{-2}$ during radiation domination and as ${\tau }^{-3}$ during matter domination. Such density changes alone do not indicate physical structure growth. Choosing the cold-matter rest frame fixes the residual time displacement, while a spatial relabeling fixes the remaining integration convention for the metric trace.