Primeval Adiabatic Perturbation in an Expanding Universe

The general qualitative behavior of linear, first-order density perturbations in a Friedmann-Lemaitre cosmological model with radiation and matter has been known for some time in the various limiting situations. An exact quantitative calculation which traces tbe entire history of the density fluctuations is lacking because the usual approximations of a very short photon mean free path before plasma recombination, and a very long mean free path after, are inadequate. We present here results of the direct integration of the collision equation of the photon distribution function, which enable us to treat in detail the complicated regime of plasma recombination. Starting from an assumed initial power spectrum well before recombination, we obtain a final spectrum of density perturbations after recombination. The calculations are carried out for several general-relativity models and one scalar-tensor model. One can identify two characteristic masses in the final power spectrum: one is the mass within the Hubble radius ct at recombination, and the other results from the linear dissipation of the perturbations prior to recombination. Conceivably the first of these numbers is associated with the great rich clusters of galaxies, the second with the large galaxies. We compute also the expected residual irregularity in the radiation from the primeval fireball. If we assume that (1) the rich clusters formed from an initially adiabatic perturbation and (2) the fireball radiation has not been seriously perturbed after the epoch of recombination of the primeval plasma, then with an angular resolution of t minute of arc the rms fluctuation in antenna temperature should be at least T7T = 0.00015.