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Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 4 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The right-hand side of the slow-roll curvature power spectrum must be evaluated separately for each mode at cosmological horizon exit, . Taking logarithms givesFor ,HenceThis is the scalar spectral index in Hubble slow-roll parameters.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The creation and annihilation operators obey the canonical bosonic commutation relationsSince , the vacuum two-point correlation function isForone has . Comparison with the definition of the dimensionless power spectrum giveswhere . On superhorizon scales, or , and therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 3 e Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Yes. A perturbation of amplitude at CMB decoupling must grow by at least before becoming nonlinear. During matter domination , but once dominates, the suppression of matter growth by smooth accelerated expansion makes the growth approach a finite limit. Increasing moves this freeze-out to an earlier scale factor and eventually prevents from reaching unity.
For an order-of-magnitude bound, matter growth would reach unity atRequiring matter still to dominate then gives the galaxy-formation bound on the cosmological constantThe exact upper limit follows by imposing with the integral growth factor and an appropriate nonlinear-collapse threshold.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 3 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For matter plus a cosmological constant,Set . Substitution into the equation from part (c) makes the coefficient of vanish by the Friedmann relation and leavesorTherefore the two independent modes can be writtenThe first is the decaying mode. Normalizing the second to at early times gives the integral linear growth factor in a matter-Lambda universe
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 3 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
During matter domination, and . Trying giveswhose roots are and . Thus the cosmic-time matter density modes are
During asymptotic cosmological constant energy domination, is constant and is negligible, soThe matter density modes during cosmological-constant domination are thereforeThe growing matter-era solution freezes to a constant.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 3 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
During matter domination, pressureless matter has . On subhorizon scales the time derivative of the Newtonian gauge in cosmology potential is negligible, so the continuity and Euler equations reduce toTaking the divergence of the second equation, differentiating the first, and using the Poisson equation givesSince , one hasDivision by yields the standard linear cosmological density perturbation equation
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 2 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The measurement cannot definitively exclude the model. If only Standard Model particles supplied entropy at scalar decoupling, the largest available value would givewhich a measurement around the Standard Model value would clearly detect.
In the proposed model, however, the many additional relativistic species are also in equilibrium when the scalar decouples. They increase , and their later disappearance transfers entropy to the coupled bath but not to the scalar. Since , a sufficiently large hidden particle content can dilute the scalar signal below any stated finite precision; a value above roughly already pushes it below about . The null measurement constrains the combination of decoupling time and total entropy degrees of freedom, but does not rule out the entire new-physics model.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 2 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
After the real scalar decouples at , its temperature redshifts as . The other particles continue sharing entropy. Just before standard-neutrino decoupling their entropy degrees of freedom areThe temperature of a decoupled relativistic relic therefore obeysA real scalar has one bosonic degree of freedom, whereas one effective neutrino species has energy weight . Hence the contribution of a decoupled real scalar to Neff isHere counts the other particles still coupled to the thermal bath, as specified in the question.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 2 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Photons are bosons with two polarizations and temperature , so . Each relativistic neutrino species includes a neutrino and antineutrino helicity state, is fermionic, and has temperature . ConsequentlyAdding the two contributions gives the defining expression for the effective number of neutrino species:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 2 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Before electron-positron annihilation, photons, electrons, and positrons share one temperature. Their effective entropy degrees of freedom areThe neutrinos have already undergone thermal decoupling in cosmology, so remains constant and they receive none of the electron-positron entropy. In the still-coupled electromagnetic plasma, cosmological entropy conservation givesThe decoupled neutrino temperature at the same later time is . Dividing the two relations gives the Cosmic neutrino background temperatureThis instantaneous-decoupling calculation neglects the small reheating correction from non-instantaneous neutrino decoupling.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 1 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
All galaxies in the population share the same formation time , so the difference between their stellar ages equals the difference between their cosmic emission times. The redshift-time relation givesFor a close pair with ,A cosmic chronometer measurement therefore reconstructs directly from differential galaxy ages. Inserting those values into the matter-plus-dark-energy Friedmann expression constrains .
Supernova distances integrate , while already contains an integral of . Cosmic chronometers avoid the distance integral, so rapid oscillations in suffer one fewer smoothing operation and can leave a more visible signal.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 1 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The flux relation is with luminosity distance . In a spatially flat universe,Thus Type Ia supernova cosmology measures the distance-redshift curve. Equation (2) makes depend on an integral of , while introduces a second integral. Fitting predicted distances to many supernova fluxes over a range of redshifts therefore constrains parameters or bins describing , although these integrations smooth fine redshift structure.
The common luminosity need not be known to constrain the shape of . An unknown multiplies every inferred distance by the same factor and is degenerate with the overall scale , or equivalently with the supernova absolute magnitude. Relative distances at different redshifts still determine the shape of the expansion history. An external calibration is needed to determine the absolute distance scale.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 1 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For dynamical dark energy, use in the continuity equation to obtainTherefore the variable dark-energy equation of state givesCombining this with in the Friedmann equation yieldswhereThis is the Hubble parameter for matter and dynamical dark energy.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 310 1 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
For a component with and constant , the cosmological perfect-fluid continuity equation becomesIntegration gives the constant-equation-of-state density scalingDefine the present cosmological density parameter bySubstitution into the spatially flat Friedmann equation gives the Hubble parameter for constant-equation-of-state componentsSpatial flatness is what allows the expression to contain only the listed density components, with .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 309 4 e Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The curvature 2-forms show that orthonormal curvature components grow as . The geodesic deviation equation converts them into the relative acceleration of nearby parts of an observer. As , the Schwarzschild tidal force stretches radial separations and compresses transverse separations with unbounded magnitude. An extended body therefore undergoes destructive tidal deformation before reaching the Schwarzschild singularity.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 309 4 d Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Substituting the forms from part (b) into Cartan's second structure equation gives the independent mixed-index curvature 2-formsEvery form is proportional to its corresponding basis 2-form, so the curvature operator is diagonal. The diagonal Ricci tensor components are contractions of these sectional curvature coefficients. In each case the coefficients cancel in the pattern , with the Lorentzian sign included when the time direction is contracted. HenceThis is consistent with Schwarzschild spacetime being a vacuum solution away from .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 309 4 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
WriteFor a diagonal curvature operator, contains only . Consequently can be nonzero only when the plane indexed by is the same as the plane indexed by . In the contractionthis condition cannot hold for . Thereforewhich is the statement that a diagonal curvature operator implies diagonal Ricci tensor.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 309 4 b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
SetDirect exterior differentiation givesSolving Cartan's first structure equation and imposing gives the independent mixed-index connection 1-formsThe remaining forms follow from Lorentz-signature antisymmetry: , , , and for spatial indices.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 309 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let . The proposed coframe giveswhich expands to the stated metric. Hence it is the orthonormal coframe in Painlevé–Gullstrand coordinates with signature .
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
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