Codex @codex  0

Choose the Fourier transform conventionStatistical homogeneity makes the Fourier covariance diagonal, and isotropy makes the matter power spectrum depend only on $k=|\mathbf{k}|$. The two-point correlation function $\xi (r)=⟨\delta (\mathbf{x})\delta (\mathbf{x}+\mathbf{r})⟩$ follows by inserting the transform and using this covariance:Integrating the polar angle relative to $\mathbf{r}$ gives $\int d{\Omega }_k{e}^{ikr\cos \theta }=4\pi \sin (kr)/(kr)$. HenceThe inverse isotropic transform is $P(k)=4\pi {\int }_0^{\infty }{r}^2\xi (r)\sin (kr)/(kr)dr$ whenever these transforms exist, with distributions or regularization otherwise.

For a spherical average of comoving radius $R$, the spherical top-hat window function isAt a fixed epoch let $P(k)=A{k}^n$. The scale-free smoothed density variance isThus the RMS fractional mass fluctuation scales as $R^{-(n+3)/2}$; the RMS mass fluctuation itself scales as $\bar{\rho }{R}^3{\sigma }_{\delta }\propto R^{(3-n)/2}$ at fixed epoch.

The comoving Poisson equation gives ${\Phi }_{\mathbf{k}}=-4\pi G{a}^2\bar{\rho }{\delta }_{\mathbf{k}}/k^2$. For the growing irrotational mode the linearized cosmological continuity equation gives ${\mathbf{v}}_{\mathbf{k}}=-iaHf\mathbf{k}{\delta }_{\mathbf{k}}/k^2$, where $f=d\log D_{+}/d\log a$. The averaged-potential and bulk-velocity variances are thereforeFor a single Cartesian component of the isotropic bulk velocity, divide its variance by three. Rescaling $kR$ givesThese are dimensional scaling laws, with an important convergence qualification. Since $W(y)\to 1$ at small $y$ and has large-$y$ envelope $O(y^{-2})$, the density average converges for $-3<n<1$, the absolute potential average for $1<n<5$, and the bulk velocity for $-1<n<3$. No one unbroken power law makes all three absolute averages finite on the entire range $0<k<\infty$. In particular, long-wavelength modes can dominate the potential. Physical infrared/ultraviolet cutoffs, potential differences, or fluctuation amplitudes in a band around $k\sim R^{-1}$ resolve the relevant divergences; with cutoffs the simple powers need not describe the full integrated variance. The scale-free potential and bulk-flow variance laws should be understood with these conditions, not as a claim that divergent RMS integrals are finite.

Interpret the requested abundance as comoving number density and use this question's mean density, rather than importing the different cosmology of Question 2. The mass-to-radius relation for a spherical top-hat window function givesThe normalization radius $7h^{-1}\mathrm{Mpc}$ is $10\mathrm{Mpc}$, not $4.9\mathrm{Mpc}$. Using $m=-3/4$,These are linearly extrapolated rms amplitudes, even when the numerical value at late times exceeds one. The high-redshift matter-dominated approximation is appropriate to the crossing sought below.

For $s=1/4$, the Press-Schechter halo mass function yieldsEquating this to $10^{-4}\mathrm{Mp}{\mathrm{c}}^{-3}$ gives $\nu e^{-{\nu }^2/2}=3.5555\times 10^{-5}$. On the rare-object branch, solving ${\nu }^2/2-\ln \nu =\ln (2.8125\times 10^4)$ gives $\nu \simeq 4.8634$. HenceThis is the first crossing as the Universe evolves from very early times. It retains the supplied scale-free extrapolation across a substantial range of scales; it is not a precision prediction using a full matter spectrum.

The abundance factor $\nu e^{-{\nu }^2/2}$ peaks at $\nu =1$. Therefore the same target has a second mathematical root, $\nu \simeq 3.56\times 10^{-5}$, corresponding to $z\simeq -0.99967$ if matter-dominated growth is extrapolated indefinitely. This extremely remote future branch is not the formation epoch and would not be physically justified by that growth approximation in a universe with late vacuum domination. This illustrates the two abundance crossings of the Press-Schechter mass function.

There is also an input-normalization qualification. If the characteristic cutoff is defined exactly by ${\nu }^2/2=(M/M_{\ast }{)}^{1/2}$, the variance normalization here gives $M_{\ast }(3)=10^{10}[\sqrt{2}(3.897)/1.68647{]}^4\simeq 1.14\times 10^{12}{M}_{\odot }$, rather than the earlier approximate quoted cutoff. The numerical estimate uses the explicit rms normalization in this part and the mass-scaling exponent from the preceding part; both cutoff normalizations cannot be imposed as exact simultaneously.

Assume matter-dominated growth over the two epochs, so $D(z)\propto (1+z{)}^{-1}$. A fixed definition of the characteristic mass selects fixed peak height ${\nu }_{\ast }$. Therefore $D(z)\sigma (M_{\ast })$ is constant. With $\sigma (M)\propto M^{-s}$, the observed ratios giveSince a spherical top-hat window function has $M\propto R^3$, the rms slope isFor a cosmological density power spectrum $P(k)\propto k^n$, the smoothed matter density variance isThe dimensionless integral converges for $-3<n<1$. Thus $m=-(n+3)/2$, andFor reference, substituting $s=1/4$ into the differential Press-Schechter halo mass function gives a low-mass prefactor $M^{-7/4}$ and an exponential argument proportional to $M^{1/2}$, so its displayed-form exponents are $\alpha =-7/4$, $\beta =1/2$. The prefactor normalization varies with epoch.

The effective galactic-scale index $-3/2$ need not equal the primordial nearly scale-invariant index one. The cosmological transfer function modifies perturbations between the primordial epoch and galaxy formation: modes entering the horizon in the radiation-dominated era grow differently from larger modes. Schematically $P_m(k,z)\propto D(z{)}^2{k}^{n_s}T(k{)}^2$, with $n_s\simeq 1$, while the cold-dark-matter transfer function decreases toward small scales. The result is a much redder late-time cosmological density power spectrum, with a scale-dependent slope. The inferred $-3/2$ is a local power-law approximation to the processed matter spectrum, not a measurement of the primordial index.

Let ${\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}\simeq 1.686$ be the linear spherical-collapse threshold and let $D(t)$ be the linear growth factor, normalized to one at the epoch to which the random density field has been extrapolated. The time-dependent barrier is ${\delta }_c(t)={\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}/D(t)$. The smoothed matter density variance ${\sigma }^2(M)$ is the variance of the linear density contrast smoothed with a spherical top-hat window function whose comoving mass is $M$. Both quantities must refer to the same linear normalization; equivalently use $\nu ={\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}/\sigma (M,t)$.

Let $N$ denote the comoving number density and write $\mathcal{N}(M,t)=dN/dM$ for the positive differential Press-Schechter halo mass function. With ${\bar{\rho }}_0$ the mean comoving mass density, the mass fraction obeysDifferentiating the complementary error function and using $\nu ={\delta }_c/\sigma$ givesThis is the requested mass function; $MdN/dM$ is the abundance per unit natural logarithmic mass. For physical rather than comoving number density, multiply by $(1+z{)}^3$. The normalization in the Press-Schechter formalism includes its factor of two relative to the positive Gaussian tail, so $f(>M)$ tends to one as the smoothing mass tends to zero when $\sigma$ diverges. It is a collapse prescription, not the probability that an arbitrary already nonlinear density field stays Gaussian.

Let $D(z)$ be the linear growth factor normalized to $D(0)=1$. The present-extrapolated spherical-collapse barrier is ${\delta }_c(z)={\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}/D(z)$, where ${\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}\simeq 1.686$ is the linearly evolved overdensity required for spherical collapse at that epoch. The smoothed matter density variance $\sigma (M,z)$ is the root-mean-square linear density contrast after smoothing on a Lagrangian region containing mass $M$; $\sigma (M,z)=D(z)\sigma (M,0)$. Thus the barrier-to-variance ratio is equivalently ${\delta }_c(z)/\sigma (M,0)={\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}/\sigma (M,z)$.

For a spherical top-hat window function with comoving radius $R$, $M=(4\pi /3){\bar{\rho }}_{m,0}{R}^3$. A scale-free spectrum givesChanging variable to $kR$ gives the scale-free smoothed density variance scaling $\sigma \propto M^{-\beta }$ with $\beta =(n+3)/6$. For a top-hat the scale-free integral converges for $-3<n<1$; the inferred index below lies in this interval.

Differentiate the Press-Schechter formalism mass fraction and divide the resulting mass density by halo mass. Writing $\nu ={\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}/\sigma (M,z)$,This is a comoving halo abundance. Introduce $M_{h,\mathrm{ch}}$ by ${\nu }^2/2=(M/M_{h,\mathrm{ch}}{)}^{2\beta }$; then $\sigma (M_{h,\mathrm{ch}},z)={\delta }_{\mathrm{sc}}/\sqrt{2}$ and

For the constant baryon conversion mapping of halo and stellar mass, identify one counted galaxy with each halo and neglect scatter and subhalo multiplicity. If $f_{\ast }$ is the fraction of the halo's baryons incorporated into stars, its stellar-to-halo mass ratio is ${ϵ}_{\ast }=f_{\ast }{f}_b$, with $f_b=0.2$, and $M_{\ast }={ϵ}_{\ast }M$. The corresponding stellar characteristic mass is $M_{\ast ,\mathrm{ch}}={ϵ}_{\ast }{M}_{h,\mathrm{ch}}$. Transforming $d{n}_h/dM$ with $dM/d{M}_{\ast }=1/{ϵ}_{\ast }$ gives the power-law Press-Schechter stellar mass function:It has the required power-law low-mass behavior and stretched exponential cutoff. Matching both exponents and the normalization determines the effective spectral index and stellar conversion efficiency.

Interpret $P(k)$ in the variance integral as the unsmoothed cosmological density power spectrum of $\delta$. A linear smoothing window gives $P_R(k)=P(k)|\tilde{W}(kR){|}^2$ for the smoothed field; the PDF's description of $P(k)$ as already belonging to ${\delta }_R$ would otherwise count the window twice.

For a scale-free matter power spectrum $P(k)=A{k}^{n_{\mathrm{eff}}}$, substitute $q=kR$ to obtainWhenever the dimensionless integral is finite and nonzero, this proves the scale-free smoothed density varianceThe printed condition $n_{\mathrm{eff}}<3$ is insufficient by itself. For a normalized window with $\tilde{W}(0)=1$, infrared convergence requires $n_{\mathrm{eff}}>-3$. Ultraviolet convergence depends on the filter: a spherical top-hat window function requires $n_{\mathrm{eff}}<1$, a Gaussian filter suppresses every ultraviolet power, and a sharp-k smoothing filter has finite Fourier support. In particular, the monotone relation $R\to \infty \Rightarrow S={\sigma }_R^2\to 0$ requires $n_{\mathrm{eff}}>-3$ in the scale-free model.

At a single variance $S_{\ast }$, the Gaussian random field has ${\delta }_{S_{\ast }}\sim N(0,S_{\ast })$. Thus its endpoint tail isHere $\mathrm{erfc}$ is the complementary error function.

For the crossing probability, the key assumption is independent, symmetric increments as the smoothing scale changes. A sharp-k smoothing filter, $\tilde{W}(kR)=1_{k<1/R}$, supplies this property: decreasing $R$ adds independent Fourier shells of the underlying Gaussian field. Parameterizing their accumulated variance by $S$ gives a Brownian motion with covariance $\min (S,S^{\prime })$. An arbitrary real-space window gives correlated increments and does not justify this argument.

Reflect a trajectory after its first hit of ${\delta }_c$. The Strong Markov property and symmetric future increments preserve its probability, and reflection maps an endpoint below the barrier to one above it. Every endpoint above the barrier has already crossed; the reflected paths give an equally probable set that crossed but ended below. The Brownian reflection principle therefore yields the excursion-set description of halo formation:Its derivative is the Brownian first-passage time densityThe factor of two resolves trajectories that crossed a larger-scale barrier but finish below it on the chosen smaller scale.

Define the halo peak height $\nu ={\delta }_c/{\sigma }_R$. The cumulative probability $\mathcal{P}(>M)$ is a dimensionless mass fraction. With $V_M=M/\bar{\rho }$, its conversion to halo number density givesConsequently the Press-Schechter halo mass function isIt is positive when ${\sigma }_R$ decreases with mass. A chosen mass-radius convention $M\propto R^3$ gives $d\log {\sigma }_R/d\log M=-(n_{\mathrm{eff}}+3)/6$. For a sharp Fourier filter that mass assignment needs a convention, since its real-space kernel is not a localized top-hat volume.

For warm dark matter, the cutoff introduces a new length and invalidates the pure power-law variance scaling near that length. With the same sharp-k filter and $n_{\mathrm{eff}}>-3$, the variance is exactlyThe Brownian walk runs only up to $S_{\max }$ and then stops. The cutoff does not destroy independence of the Fourier shells that are still present. Thus the first-crossing density and derivative mass-function formula remain valid on the invertible part of $S(M)$, using the actual cutoff variance. For $R<k_{\mathrm{WDM}}^{-1}$, $d{\sigma }_R/dM=0$ and this idealized sharp-filter model has no new crossings or new low-mass haloes. Its total collapsed fraction isThis is halo first crossing with a finite variance cutoff: some trajectories never cross, so one must not force the collapsed fraction to one. The uncut power-law abundance cannot be extrapolated to small masses. For other windows, a variance plateau still occurs but the Markov/reflection derivation is not exact; the same mass function is then a modelling approximation, rather than a result established by this calculation.

For a statistically homogeneous and isotropic density contrast,Using the Fourier transform conventionand translational invariance giveswithAt one point,

For a spherical top-hat volume $V=4\pi R^3/3$,The overlap of two radius-$R$ balls separated by $r\le 2R$ isTherefore

For $\xi (r)=(r/r_0{)}^{-1.8}$,ThusThis calculation assumes that the observed galaxies trace the matter field with unit, scale-independent galaxy bias, and that the fitted power law remains valid throughout the top-hat separations.

For a matter power spectrum $P(k)=A{k}^n$ at a fixed epoch, the Poisson equation gives potential Fourier amplitudes proportional to ${\delta }_k/k^2$, and the growing-mode peculiar velocity is proportional to ${\delta }_k\mathbf{k}/k^2$. With a spherical top-hat window function, their variances are proportional to $\int k^{n-2}W(kR{)}^{2}dk$ and $\int k^{n}W(kR{)}^{2}dk$, respectively. Rescaling $kR$ gives the displayed powers when the integrals converge: $1<n<5$ for the averaged potential and $-1<n<3$ for the bulk velocity. Absolute averaged potential has infrared sensitivity; band-limited fluctuations or potential differences can have different convergence requirements. The density variance converges only for $-3<n<1$, so these three absolute averages cannot all converge for one unbroken power law at every scale.