Finite-volume random scattering spectrum 2026-10-06
In the Born approximation for scalar wave scattering, with and zero-mean stationary unit-variance , define . The leading expectation of the differential cross-section for scalar wave scattering isFor a regular volume much larger than the covariance range, the overlap is approximately , giving . Statistical isotropy, beyond statistical homogeneity, permits the scalar argument . If the spectrum is defined for the index fluctuation rather than , it already contains .
Isotropy 2026-10-13
Isotropy is invariance under rotations, so no spatial direction is preferred. For a three-dimensional second-rank conductivity tensor, invariance under every rotation forces . Isotropy of each constituent does not imply isotropy of an arranged composite microstructure. Statistical isotropy concerns the rotational invariance of its probability law.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2002 iii Paper 45 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The cosmological principle asserts that, after averaging over sufficiently large scales, the universe is spatially homogeneous and isotropic on constant-cosmic time slices. Homogeneity means no distinguished location; isotropy means no distinguished spatial direction. These are statistical large-scale statements, not assertions that individual galaxies, clusters or the cosmic web are uniform, and they do not require the universe to be unchanging in time.
The nearly isotropic cosmic microwave background is strong evidence for large-scale isotropy about us. Its dominant dipole is explained by our peculiar velocity; the much smaller residual fluctuations provide the seeds and record of structure formation, rather than invalidating the principle. Large-area galaxy and radio-source distributions and deep galaxy surveys support statistical isotropy and a tendency towards statistical homogeneity after smoothing beyond the strongly clustered scales. An approximately isotropic Hubble flow and broadly uniform background radiation supply complementary checks.
There is an important logical distinction: isotropy seen by one observer alone does not prove homogeneity. A spherically symmetric inhomogeneous universe centered on that observer could look isotropic. Combining the observations with the assumption that our location is not privileged, so comparable observers would see comparable large-scale isotropy, motivates the homogeneous FLRW metric. Selection effects, foregrounds, finite survey volumes and the fact that observations lie on our past light cone must be accounted for. The evidence supports a large-scale statistical principle, not exact uniformity on every scale.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 74 3 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For statistical homogeneity and statistical isotropy, with the paper's finite-volume Fourier normalization,The angular integral is . In particular , confirming the stated dimensionless power spectrum normalization.
For the scale-free matter power spectrum , set to obtainAt zero the integrand behaves as , requiring ; at infinity its oscillatory integral converges for . Thus in the ordinary convergent range , the scale-free density correlation transform hasThe Gamma function expression follows by introducing , evaluating the complex Laplace integral where it converges absolutely at zero, and continuing within the convergent oscillatory range; its removable singularity at is handled by the limit. Absolute convergence of the original correlation integral requires the smaller range .
The exponent relation is a useful scaling statement beyond that interval, but a pure primordial spectrum over all wavenumbers has no ordinary unsmoothed Fourier correlation integral. Physical transfer functions, cutoffs or smoothing must be specified, and a distributional extension need not yield a positive power law. Even within the convergent interval, the point variance is ultraviolet divergent without smoothing; the finite result here is at nonzero separation.
For a representative present-day ordinary galaxy sample over roughly –, the familiar approximate fit iswhere . These are empirical galaxy clustering parameters, not universal matter-spectrum constants; luminosity, color, selection and scale change the fit, as shown in the galaxy correlation measurements. A formal power law of that slope corresponds to on those scales, not to the nearly scale-invariant primordial spectral index.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 69 1 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Statistical homogeneity makes the two-point correlation depend on the displacement . Substituting the Fourier transforms and changing variables from to givesThe last integral is a Dirac delta function, soThe plus sign occurs because neither Fourier transform has undergone complex conjugation. For a real magnetic field, the version with instead has . Homogeneity determines dependence on the displacement vector; dependence only on its norm needs statistical isotropy as well.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 69 1 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Statistical isotropy and statistical reflection symmetry allow the spectral tensor to contain only and :The solenoidal magnetic-field constraint is essential here. Taking its Fourier transform gives , hence and . Thus the spectral tensor is a scalar multiple of the transverse projector of a vector field. Its trace is , so the prescribed normalization givesThis is the solenoidal isotropic spectral tensor. Without the solenoidal condition, isotropy and reflection symmetry would leave two scalar functions. Without reflection symmetry, an antisymmetric term proportional to could additionally encode magnetic helicity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 69 1 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write the transverse displacement as and take the common line-of-sight interval to be . The rotation measure is a line integral of the magnetic field, so its correlation isSubstitute the Fourier inversion of the solenoidal isotropic spectral tensor. Keeping the finite observation length gives the exact windowed expressionThe allowed extension of the longitudinal displacement integral to the whole real line is the long-path projection of a magnetic correlation. It applies when is much larger than the correlation length: equivalently, the squared window becomes inside the integral. The Dirac delta function sets , leavingStatistical isotropy makes this a function of . The displayed two-dimensional relation is the intended long-path approximation; the preceding windowed formula accounts for finite-length edge effects.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 69 4 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Assume statistically steady, three-dimensional turbulence at large Reynolds number, with local statistical homogeneity and statistical isotropy at scales small compared with the forcing scale . The Kolmogorov 1941 theory additionally assumes a local energy cascade, constant mean energy flux per unit mass , and negligible viscous dissipation within the inertial range. Its dimensional form neglects corrections from internal intermittency.
At separation , let be a typical velocity increment. The eddy turnover time is . Constant transfer rate then gives , henceHere is the one-dimensional turbulent energy spectrum, obtained from with . The scaling holds only forThe Kolmogorov length scale follows by setting the scale-dependent Reynolds number to one. The associated Kolmogorov microscales give . At larger scales the forcing matters; at smaller scales kinematic viscosity matters.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 53 3 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For a statistically homogeneous comoving curvature perturbation, define the connected primordial bispectrum byStatistical isotropy makes depend only on the three magnitudes, which must form a triangle. A Gaussian random field has zero connected bispectrum. Canonical attractor single-field slow-roll inflation with the usual vacuum produces only slow-roll-sized primordial non-Gaussianity. A measurable signal can arise from additional light fields and nonlinear conversion of isocurvature perturbations, or from enhanced interactions such as a small sound speed, departures from an attractor, or suitable features/excited initial states. The resulting model must still reproduce the observed nearly scale-invariant power spectrum and remain under perturbative control, with acceptable backreaction and late-time conversion to the observed perturbations. Large non-Gaussianity is therefore possible but is not automatic in a viable model.
Put and use the consistent Fourier transform convention with , rather than the repeated momentum argument printed in the integrand. The quadratic part has transformThe subtraction sets the mean to zero and removes the internal contraction of a single quadratic factor. At first order in , choose one of the three external factors to be quadratic. For example, the two connected Wick contractions at the third leg pair its two fields with the first two legs, givingSumming the three placements provesThis is the leading local primordial bispectrum. The factor is the quadratic coefficient multiplied by the two cross-pairings. Terms of order have an odd Gaussian moment and vanish.
The literal quadratic local model also has a connected cubic-in- contribution, from one quadratic factor at every leg:This is the loop correction to the local primordial bispectrum; regulators may be needed for idealized spectra. Thus the PDF's displayed formula is the tree/leading-order result, not an exact identity for arbitrary . The weak-non-Gaussian expansion assumes these loop terms are small. The local shape is enhanced in the squeezed bispectrum configuration when a long-wavelength perturbation modulates small-scale power.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 55 3 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For the growing adiabatic mode in an epoch of constant , the superhorizon potential is constant. The Friedmann equation gives , so the given relation impliesThus and . Photon continuity, neglecting its gradient term on superhorizon scales, gives . The radiation-era initial condition fixes . Through the matter-radiation transition it follows that . Since , the matched large-scale emission perturbation isKeeping the radiation value of unchanged across the transition would give the wrong coefficient. This is the Sachs-Wolfe radiation-to-matter matching for the paper's sign convention for comoving curvature perturbation.
Neglect the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, the superhorizon-suppressed Doppler term, observer monopole, and any observer kinematic dipole. Put by statistical homogeneity, and defineThe plane-wave expansion on gives angular multipolesStatistical isotropy and orthonormal spherical harmonics then imply . Radial integration supplies , giving the large-angle angular power spectrumThis assumes adiabatic growing modes, matter domination at emission, negligible anisotropic stress, and wavenumbers that are outside the Hubble radius then. It treats recombination as instantaneous, omits late potential evolution and rescattering, and omits lensing at this linear order. The formal primordial contribution is defined for ; the observed dipole has a large additional kinematic contribution, so the clean large-angle primordial comparison is usually . A scale-invariant spectrum also yields the Sachs-Wolfe plateau for .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 76 2 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let the medium's autocorrelation function of a random field and power spectrum use the explicit conventionSince , only the linear term in is needed to obtain the cross-section through second order:Squaring and taking the expectation givesThis is the finite-volume formula in the Born approximation for scalar wave scattering; the zero mean of does not make its squared scattered amplitude vanish. For a jointly centered Gaussian random field, the third-order contribution is zero, so the next perturbative contribution is fourth order when that expansion is valid.
Introduce the overlap volume . Changing variables rewrites the double integral asWhen the linear dimensions of a regular scattering volume are large compared with the correlation length, and is integrable, over the significant covariance range. This gives the finite-volume random scattering spectrum resultThere are two distinct approximations here: the weak-scattering expansion in and the negligible-boundary-overlap approximation in the volume-to-correlation-scale ratio. If instead denotes the power spectrum of the index fluctuation , then and the external factor is absorbed into .
Statistical homogeneity alone allows an anisotropic spectrum, so its argument is generally the vector . If statistical isotropy is additionally assumed, depends only onThe scalar notation is valid in that isotropic case. For the alternative convention , the bulk formula is . Changing the sign of the scattering vector does not change the spectrum of a real stationary scalar field; changing the Fourier transform normalization does change the displayed factors. Both conventions have therefore been stated explicitly.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 312 2 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Expand the fractional CMB temperature fluctuation as . Under statistical isotropy, its CMB angular power spectrum is defined byThe normalization is for dimensionless temperature, rather than temperature in kelvin. The spherical harmonics separate angular scales, with large corresponding to small angles.
For approximately constant , a useful solution of the photon-baryon acoustic oscillator isHere is the comoving sound horizon. With slowly varying , the oscillatory phase is still and its homogeneous amplitude varies approximately as under the short-period approximation. Evolving potentials add gravitational driving rather than erase this phase coherence.
The regular growing adiabatic initial conditions produce an initial density displacement and negligible initial acoustic velocity outside the horizon. They therefore select the cosine phase, with approximately zero, for all modes. At last scattering, extrema of compression and rarefaction occur at . The observed monopole-plus-potential Sachs-Wolfe combination is , so baryon loading shifts its equilibrium and makes alternating peaks unequal. The velocity produces a phase-shifted Doppler CMB anisotropy.
Projection from the Cosmic microwave background last-scattering surface places a mode near , where is its comoving radial distance in a flat universe. The resulting adiabatic acoustic-peak spacing isCoherent acoustic phases turn successive compressions and rarefactions into the CMB peak series. Finite-width last scattering, Doppler projection, evolving potentials and diffusion shift or broaden actual peaks, so this is the requested approximate spacing, not an exact prediction for every peak.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 335 1 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Interpret the longitudinal Dirac delta function as the Markov approximation for a random medium. The two arguments on the left of the printed covariance must be and . The transverse covariance kernel is . Here statistical isotropy means transverse isotropy: a medium with a distinguished longitudinal white noise direction and a smooth transverse covariance is not literally isotropic in all three directions. Also, ideal Gaussian white noise replaces the original finite-variance field; it cannot simultaneously satisfy a pointwise normalization .
Write for the covariance strength of the refractive index fluctuations. Define the transverse power spectrum using the unnormalized forward Fourier transform printed in equation 3:This is the spectrum of the fluctuations, excluding the deterministic mean index. Equivalently it is the zero-longitudinal-frequency slice of the three-dimensional fluctuation spectrum before the Markov approximation. The angular integral is , where is the Bessel function of the first kind. Consequently Fourier inversion and the Hankel transform giveThe printed equations 4 and 5 omit these reciprocal factors, and the left-hand side of equation 5 should depend on . They are instead a consistent order-zero Hankel transform pair if their denotes .
Using , the mean-field solution in the Fourier transform convention isHere is the Fresnel propagator. Finiteness of the integral ensures a finite screen wave phase variance. If the quoted power spectrum uses the self-reciprocal Hankel transform convention, the same result readsThese formulas describe identical media when ; assigning the same numerical function to both spectral conventions describes different covariance strengths.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 312 1 v Solution 2026-09-28
Statistical homogeneity forces a scalar two-point function to have momenta . Statistical isotropy then makes it a function only of , so it is parity even without using perturbation theory.
For a scalar three-point function, momentum conservation gives , so all three vectors lie in one plane. A rotation by around the normal to that plane sends every to . Rotational invariance therefore identifies a triangle with its parity reverse, proving nonperturbatively that the scalar primordial bispectrum is parity even.
A rotationally invariant local parity-odd three-scalar vertex must contain a Levi-Civita symbol contracted with three spatial momenta. Its momentum-space factor is proportional tobecause momentum conservation makes the momenta linearly dependent. The equivalent position-space expression is a total divergence; its spatial integral vanishes under the stated vanishing boundary condition. Thus a parity-odd interaction of three scalar fields contributes nothing to the action.