Time as an Emergent Coherence Property in Aetherium

This paper is part of the Aetherium Applications Phase, which explores the physical, cosmological, and observational consequences of the Aetherium substrate and its coherence dynamics.

The manuscript develops a coherence‑based account of time within the Aetherium framework. Rather than treating time as a fundamental dimension, the work proposes that temporal ordering emerges from coherence gradients in the underlying substrate. The breathing cycle provides a minimal mechanism through which coherence varies, supplying the relational structure that observers interpret as the arrow of time. This approach offers a unified conceptual account of temporal directionality without relying on geometric or kinematic primitives.

The paper includes a discussion of coherence‑driven ordering, the role of gradients in defining temporal structure, and the implications for cosmology and fundamental physics. It builds on prior Aetherium publications and contributes to the broader effort to understand time as an emergent property of substrate dynamics.