Averaging of a locally inhomogeneous realistic universe

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Abstract
We present an averaging scheme in general relativity which allows us to study the effect of local inhomogeneity on the global behavior of the universe. The scheme uses 3+1 splitting of spacetime and introduces Isaacson averaging on the spatial hypersurface to get the averaged geometry. As a result of the averaging, the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FWR) geometry is derived in the first-order approximation for a wide class of inhomogeneous nonlinear matter distribution. The deviation from the FRW expansion is derived to the next order in terms of the anisotropic distribution of an effective stress-energy tensor. Using a simple model of inhomogeneity we show that the average effect of the inhomogeneity behaves like a negative spatial curvature term and thus has a tendency to extend the age of the universe. © 1996 The American Physical Society.