[Physics] How exactly is conformal time, $\eta$, calculated

big-bangcosmologydistance

As I understand it, Conformal Time is basically the comoving distance divided by the speed of light.
$$\eta=\int_0^t\frac {dt'}{a(t')}$$
I can make the connection between the scale factor and redshift:$$\frac {1}{a}=(z+1)$$but this is where I'm stuck. I want to perform the actual integration and get a concrete value for the conformal time as a function of cosmological time (e.g. $f(t) = \eta$), but I can't find a formula relating t to the scale factor or redshift.

Could someone show me step by step the derivation of the formula?

Best Answer

I am not sure this is what you want but I want to give it a try,

$$\eta=\int \frac {dt} {a}=\int\frac {da} {a\dot{a}}=\int\frac {da} {a^2H}$$ and we can write $$H(z)=H_0E(z)$$ $$E(z)=\sqrt{\Omega_{\Lambda}+\Omega_m(1+z)^3+\Omega_r(1+z)^4+\Omega_{\kappa}(1+z)^2}$$

so we have,

$$\eta=\int\frac {da} {a^2H_0E(z)}$$

and $dz=-da/a^2$ so we can write,

$$\eta=-H_0^{-1}\int\frac {dz} {E(z)}$$

And by taking initial coniditon as $z=\infty$, and due to the minus sign the integral becomes,

$$\eta=H_0^{-1}\int_z^{\infty}\frac {dz} {E(z)}$$

To find the current($t_0$) conformal time, we can use the above equation, for $z=0$

$$\eta=H_0^{-1}\int_{z=0}^{\infty}\frac {dz} {E(z)}$$

$$\eta=H_0^{-1}\int_{0}^{\infty}\frac {dz} {\sqrt{\Omega_{\Lambda}+\Omega_m(1+z)^3+\Omega_r(1+z)^4+\Omega_{\kappa}(1+z)^2}}$$

For the current values of $\Omega_{\Lambda}=0.69$, $\Omega_m=0.31$,$\Omega_{\kappa}= \Omega_r=0$

we have,

$$\eta=H_0^{-1}\int_{0}^{\infty}\frac {dz} {\sqrt{\Omega_{\Lambda}+\Omega_m(1+z)^3}}$$

$$\eta=H_0^{-1}\int_{0}^{\infty}\frac {dz} {\sqrt{0.69+0.31(1+z)^3}}$$

If we take $H_0=70km/s/Mpc$ then $1/H_0=1/(70\times 3.2408\,10^{-20})=4.4133353\,10^{17}s$

And the integral gives, $$\int_{0}^{\infty}\frac {dz} {\sqrt{0.69+0.31(1+z)^3}}=3.266054427285631$$

so $$\eta(t_0)=3.266054427285631\times 4.4133353\,10^{17}s=1.4414193\,10^{18}=45.70 \,\text {Gigayear}$$

To calculate the integral you can use, this site

I write the integral in terms of $z$ but, its also possible to write the equation in terms of $a(t)$ (the begining part of the derivation). But $z$ is the observable value so I prefer to write in that form.

For a given $t$ you can turn easily $a(t)$ to $z$.

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