https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-6103-7
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Numerical relativity investigation of the effects of gravitational waves on the inhomogeneity of the universe
National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20A Datun Road, Beijing, 100012, China
* e-mail: wangke@itp.ac.cn
Received:
22
February
2018
Accepted:
25
July
2018
Published online:
7
August
2018
We numerically integrate the Einstein’s equations for a spatially flat Friedmann–Lemaire–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) background spacetime with a spatial curvature perturbation and evolving primordial tensor perturbations using the Einstein Toolkit. We find that although the primordial tensor perturbation does not play an important role in the evolution of the overdensity produced by the scalar perturbation, there is an obvious imprint left by the primordial tensor perturbation on the distribution of the fractional density perturbation in the nonlinear region. This imprint may be a possible probe of a gravitational waves background in the future.
© The Author(s), 2018
