Several extensions of general relativity and high energy physics include scalar fields as extra degrees of freedom. In the search for predictions in the nonlinear regime of cosmological evolution, the community makes use of numerical simulations in which the quasistatic limit is assumed when solving the equation of motion of the scalar field. In this Letter, we propose a method to solve the full equations of motion for scalar degrees of freedom coupled to matter. We run cosmological simulations which track the full time and space evolution of the scalar field, and find striking differences with respect to the commonly used quasistatic approximation. This novel procedure reveals new physical properties of the scalar field and uncovers concealed astrophysical phenomena which were hidden in the old approach.

• Received 11 February 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.161101