The dark side of the torsion: dark energy from propagating torsion

Abstract

An extension to the Einstein-Cartan (EC) action is discussed in terms of cosmological solutions. The torsion incorporated in the EC Lagrangian is assumed to be totally anti-symmetric, represented by a time-like axial vector $S^\mu$. The dynamics of torsion is invoked by a novel kinetic term. Here we show that this kinetic term gives rise to dark energy, while the quadratic torsion term, emanating from the EC part, represents a stiff fluid that leads to a bouncing cosmology solution. A constraint on the bouncing solution is calculated using cosmological data from different epochs.