Cosmological Simulations of Normal-Branch Braneworld Gravity
  We introduce a cosmological model based on the normal branch of DGP
braneworld gravity with a smooth dark energy component on the brane. The
expansion history in this model is identical to LambdaCDM, thus evading all
geometric constraints on the DGP cross-over scale r_c. This model can serve as
a first approximation to more general braneworld models whose cosmological
solutions have not been obtained yet. We study the formation of large scale
structure in this model in the linear and non-linear regime using N-body
simulations for different values of r_c. The simulations use the code presented
in (F.S., arXiv:0905.0858) and solve the full non-linear equation for the
brane-bending mode in conjunction with the usual gravitational dynamics. The
brane-bending mode is attractive rather than repulsive in the DGP normal
branch, hence the sign of the modified gravity effects is reversed compared to
those presented in arXiv:0905.0858. We compare the simulation results with
those of ordinary LambdaCDM simulations run using the same code and initial
conditions. We find that the matter power spectrum in this model shows a
characteristic enhancement peaking at k ~ 0.7 h/Mpc. We also find that the
abundance of massive halos is significantly enhanced. Other results presented
here include the density profiles of dark matter halos, and signatures of the
brane-bending mode self-interactions (Vainshtein mechanism) in the simulations.
Independently of the expansion history, these results can be used to place
constraints on the DGP model and future generalizations through their effects
on the growth of cosmological structure.
