Geometrical order-of-magnitude estimates for spatial curvature in realistic models of the Universe

Abstract

The thoughts expressed in this article are based on remarks made by Jürgen Ehlers at the Albert-Einstein-Institut, Golm, Germany in July 2007. The main objective of this article is to demonstrate, in terms of plausible order-of-magnitude estimates for geometrical scalars, the relevance of spatial curvature in realistic models of the Universe that describe the dynamics of structure formation since the epoch of matter-radiation decoupling. We introduce these estimates with a commentary on the use of a quasi-Newtonian metric form in this context.

11 pages. Fully hyperlinked. Dedicated to the memory of Jürgen Ehlers. To appear in the upcoming Special Issue of "General Relativity and Gravitation"

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