The Persistence Mandate: A Thermodynamic Selection Principle for Late-Time Thawing Dark Energy in DESI DR2

Recent cosmological constraints from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 2, when combined with Planck CMB data and multiple supernova compilations, favor mild late-time evolution of the dark energy equation of state. This work proposes a conservative thermodynamic framework—the Persistence Mandate—in which dark energy is interpreted as the minimal irreversible entropy production required to maintain macroscopic spacetime coherence under cosmic expansion. The framework introduces no new degrees of freedom, preserves local General Relativity, avoids phantom behavior, and naturally yields late-time thawing consistent with current observations.