Axion as a cold dark matter candidate: Proof to second order

We prove that the axion as a coherently oscillating scalar field acts as a cold dark matter (CDM) to the second-order perturbations in all cosmological scales including the super-horizon scale. The proof is made in the axion-comoving gauge. For a canonical mass, the axion pressure term causes deviation from the CDM only on scales smaller than the Solar System size. Beyond such a small scale the equations of the axion fluid are the same as the ones of the CDM based on the CDM-comoving gauge which are exactly identical to the Newtonian equations to the second order. We also show that the axion fluid does not generate the rotational (vector-type) perturbation even to the second order. Thus, in the case of axion fluid, we have the relativistic/Newtonian correspondence to the second order, even considering the rotational perturbation. Our analysis is made in the presence of the cosmological constant, and can be easily extended to the realistic situation including other components of fluids and fields.