Can $f(Q)$ gravity challenge $\Lambda$CDM?

Understand

We study observational constraints on the non-metricity $f(Q)$-gravity which reproduces an exact $\Lambda$CDM background expansion history while modifying the evolution of linear perturbations.

• To this purpose we use Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, baryonic acoustic oscillations (BAO), redshift-space distortions (RSD), supernovae type Ia (SNIa), galaxy clustering (GC) and weak gravitational lensing (WL) measurements.
• We set stringent constraints on the parameter of the model controlling the modifications to the gravitational interaction at linear perturbation level.
• We find the model to be statistically preferred by data over the $\Lambda$CDM according to the $\chi^2$ and deviance information criterion statistics for the combination with CMB, BAO, RSD and SNIa.