Experimental Signatures and Falsification Protocols for Coherence-Mediated Stress Transport

This record publishes Paper V of a five-paper coherence-field stress program, providing the experimental closure: explicit signatures, null tests, and falsification criteria for coherence-mediated stress transport.

Series context (prior papers, Zenodo):
(1) Ampere Longitudinal Force as Transient Phase-Gradient Stress in a Coherence Field — https://zenodo.org/records/18180865
(2) Phase Solitons and Topological Stress Transport in a Coherence Field: From Transient Gradients to Persistent Structures — https://zenodo.org/records/18181016
(3) Coherence-Mediated Stress Accumulation and Plasticity in Crystalline Solids — https://zenodo.org/records/18181341
(4) Information-Guided Stress Routing in a Coherence Field — https://zenodo.org/records/18181703

Paper V contribution (this record):
• Defines measurable observables distinguishing coherence-mediated stress from Maxwell stress, elastic response, and thermal expansion.
• Primary discriminators: timing observable η = J_rise/J_total, delayed response t_delay ~ L/c_θ, and a threshold condition |∇θ|_crit ~ ℓ^{-1}.
• Provides mandatory conservative null tests (slow ramp, symmetric geometry, thermal-only, mechanical isolation, amorphous controls).
• Supplies a detailed, replication-oriented tabletop apparatus concept (pulsed current source + high-bandwidth current measurement + LDV/piezo sensing + timing discipline + shielding).
• States explicit decision criteria under which the hypothesis must be rejected.

This work is designed for independent replication, preregistration, and unambiguous falsification.