Backreaction: Exploring Inhomogenities in Matter and Cosmic Evolution

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In summary: Regardless of level of understanding, any relevant material is useful for improving understanding. Thanks for the reference link; it was informative.Btw, what is ‘non-perturbative statistical estimation’? How is it different from ‘perturbative’?Non-perturbative statistical estimation is a more accurate way of calculating a result from a simulation. It is typically used when the perturbation level is too high to be accurately measured.Perturbative is when you use the laws of physics to calculate the result of a simulation.
  • #1
Ranku
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It is being explored how the effect of inhomogenities in matter influence average cosmic evolution (Arxiv). Is there an equation of backreaction upon which such a possibility is being explored?
 
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  • #2
Ranku said:
Is there an equation of backreaction

What does the paper you referenced tell you?
 
  • #3
Ranku said:
It is being explored how the effect of inhomogenities in matter influence average cosmic evolution (Arxiv).

This is really an "A" level topic, not an "I" level one. The only real "I" level answer that can be given is "it's complicated".
 
  • #4
PeterDonis said:
What does the paper you referenced tell you?
It is an advanced-level critique of a rival paper, so doesn’t go much into the basics of backreaction.
 
  • #5
Ranku said:
It is an advanced-level critique of a rival paper

What does the rival paper say? Or other references? The paper says references 1-8 are general reviews of the topic of backreaction.
 
  • #6
PeterDonis said:
What does the rival paper say? Or other references? The paper says references 1-8 are general reviews of the topic of backreaction.
I’ve just come to know of the topic. So l’m looking for some basic information here.
 
  • #7
Ranku said:
I’ve just come to know of the topic. So l’m looking for some basic information here.

As I said, this is an advanced topic, so even "basic information" probably requires graduate level background knowledge. I don't think "backreaction" can be boiled down to a single equation. Particularly not since there is still not general agreement about whether backreaction is even a significant effect in cosmology.

The best sources of general knowledge are probably the review articles referenced in the paper. It's possible that a recent cosmology textbook might have some discussion of it, but I have not seen one.
 
  • #8
Back when adults routinely wore hats outdoors, STEM teachers and authors used an expression "First find a place to hang your hat." when studying new concepts. IOW begin with material that you understand.

While reading the cited paper and following this discussion thread, I found a "place to hang my hat" in reference number 21] Abbott E A 1884 Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Curious why the authors referenced this classic Victorian mathematical satire, I followed the Abbott reference back through this paper's critique of the prior Green and Wald (GW) papers.

The common thread among this critique and GW papers describes how scientists measure and understand the topology of their universe, specifically in 'Sphereland' with 3+1 dimensions discussed in section 2 of your PDF. This paper discusses difficulties in proving relevance of backreaction inhomogeneities in cosmological theory without offering a primer on backreaction as a concept.
 
  • #9
Klystron said:
Back when adults routinely wore hats outdoors, STEM teachers and authors used an expression "First find a place to hang your hat." when studying new concepts. IOW begin with material that you understand.

While reading the cited paper and following this discussion thread, I found a "place to hang my hat" in reference number 21] Abbott E A 1884 Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Curious why the authors referenced this classic Victorian mathematical satire, I followed the Abbott reference back through this paper's critique of the prior Green and Wald (GW) papers.

The common thread among this critique and GW papers describes how scientists measure and understand the topology of their universe, specifically in 'Sphereland' with 3+1 dimensions discussed in section 2 of your PDF. This paper discusses difficulties in proving relevance of backreaction inhomogeneities in cosmological theory without offering a primer on backreaction as a concept.
All I say to you is ‘May Your Tribe Increase’.
 
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@Ranku I don't know what level of understanding you have, but I found this paper to help me understand the concept. The simulation run here seems to support the claim that backreaction may be significant.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.08797
 
  • #11
phyzguy said:
@Ranku I don't know what level of understanding you have, but I found this paper to help me understand the concept. The simulation run here seems to support the claim that backreaction may be significant.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1607.08797
Regardless of level of understanding, any relevant material is useful for improving understanding. Thanks for the reference link; it was informative.
Btw, what is ‘non-perturbative statistical estimation’? How is it different from ‘perturbative’?
 

1. What is backreaction?

Backreaction refers to the effect of small-scale inhomogenities in matter on the overall evolution of the universe. In other words, it is the influence of local variations in matter and energy density on the large-scale behavior of the universe.

2. How does backreaction impact our understanding of cosmic evolution?

Backreaction challenges the traditional model of cosmic evolution, which assumes a homogeneous and isotropic universe on large scales. It suggests that these local variations in matter and energy density can have a significant impact on the overall behavior of the universe, leading to deviations from the predicted expansion and acceleration.

3. What are some examples of inhomogenities in matter?

Inhomogenities in matter can take many forms, including variations in the distribution of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and dark matter. They can also arise from fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation and the presence of large voids in the universe.

4. How do scientists study backreaction?

Scientists use a variety of observational and theoretical methods to study backreaction. These include analyzing data from telescopes and satellites, running simulations on supercomputers, and developing mathematical models to describe the behavior of inhomogenities in matter.

5. What are the potential implications of backreaction for our understanding of the universe?

Backreaction has the potential to significantly change our understanding of the universe and its evolution. It could provide new insights into the nature of dark energy and the structure of the universe on large scales. It may also challenge the validity of the cosmological principle, which assumes that the universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales.

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