Torsion cosmology in the light of DESI, supernovae and CMB observational constraints

Abstract: We present a torsion-based cosmological model within the Einstein-Cartan framework, analyze it using combined DESI, PantheonPlus/DESY5, and CMB datasets, a reveals several interesting features. The torsion parameter $\alpha$ shows a trend of change from $\alpha=0.042^{{+0.035}_{-0.031}$} (CMB alone) to $\alpha=-0.0075\pm0.0058$ (full dataset), while remaining consistent with zero within $1.7\sigma$. The model demonstrates potential in addressing cosmological tensions, yielding $H_0 = 68.80\pm0.48~\mathrm{km~s^{{-1}~Mpc{-1}}$} and reducing the $S_8$ tension from $0.73\sigma$ to $0.1\sigma$ through its torsion-modified growth equation. Bayesian evidence analysis shows a clear preference for torsion cosmology in most dataset combinations, with the notable exception of CMB+DESI+DESY5 which slightly favors $\Lambda$CDM. Remarkably, substituting DESY5 with PantheonPlus data reverses this preference, yielding $\Delta\log\mathcal{Z} = -3.59$ - a strong indication of the model's viability. While not conclusive, these findings suggest torsion cosmology merits further investigation as a potential extension to $\Lambda$CDM.