Impact of Dark Energy Clustering on Cosmic Structure Formation : a Numerical Relativity Approach

The impact of dark energy clustering on the process of cosmic structure
formation will be investigated with the non-perturbative methods of
numerical relativity. This approach allows to fully account for the stresses of
dark energy and the momentum transfers at work during collapse.
Numerical relativity approach also allows fully monitoring the raising of
spacetime inhomogeneities all along the collapse, including in the non-linear
phases and up to the formation of the gravitationnaly bound cosmic
structures. This approach is complimentary to usual semi-newtonian or
perturbative ones and allows direct computations of relativistic effects. The
project will be divided into three parts: (1) spherical collapse of
quintessence and coupled DE models ; (2) extension to 3D relativistic
hydrodynamics and (3) applications including gravitational lensing,
geometrical tests of spacetime inhomogeneity and possible emission of
gravitational waves. This project will therefore help providing new criteria to
establish the very nature of dark energy with large-scale structure formation,
in the context of future important experiments like the Euclid space mission.