We show how standard Newtonian N-body simulations can be interpreted in terms of the weak-field limit of general relativity by employing the recently developed Newtonian motion gauge. Our framework allows the inclusion of radiation perturbations and the non-linear evolution of matter. We show how to construct the weak-field metric by combining Newtonian simulations with results from Einstein-Boltzmann codes. We discuss observational effects on weak lensing and ray tracing, identifying important relativistic corrections.
In the previous work by Chisari and Zaldarriaga (CZ) @cite_33 , a dictionary between simulations and general relativistic perturbations in the Poisson gauge has been developed, using a different ansatz restricted to linear perturbation theory in a pressureless Universe. As expected, their findings correspond to our more general result in the appropriate limits.
@cite_33
2068569185
On large scales, comparable to the horizon, the observable clustering properties of galaxies are affected by various general relativistic effects. To calculate these effects one needs to consistently solve for the metric, densities, and velocities in a specific coordinate system or gauge. The method of choice for simulating large-scale structure is numerical N-body simulations which are performed in the Newtonian limit. Even though one might worry that the use of the Newtonian approximation would make it impossible to use these simulations to compute properties on very large scales, we show that the simulations are still solving the dynamics correctly even for long modes and we give formulas to obtain the position of particles in the conformal Newtonian gauge given the positions computed in the simulation. We also give formulas to convert from the output coordinates of N-body simulations to the observable coordinates of the particles.