An Ontological Study of the ∇U Field: A Conceptual Innovation in Cosmic Recycling

Conventional cosmology, rooted in the Big Bang and ΛCDM framework, pre- dicts an expanding universe that cools and succumbs to entropy and stellar death. However, this model struggles to explain the absence of accumulated stellar rem- nants and faces observational tensions, such as the Hubble tension and 21 cm anomalies. From the ontological stance of Meta-Monism, we propose a radical alternative: the Universe is not expanding but remains ontologically stationary— a field configuration in continuous modal re-equilibration. We hypothesize that stellar decay does not produce inert debris but initiates synchronized ontological recombination. Cold stellar remnants undergo collective ∇T collapse, triggering a field based cascade of particle unbinding and recombination, driven by ontological degradation within the ∇U field. Using a multiscale framework combining quantum decoherence, phonon dynamics, QCD-like Lagrangian extensions, and ontological field theory, we define a decay mechanism where ∇T collapse leads to collective deconfinement and regeneration. We derive effective lifetime estimates for white dwarfs at critical ∇T thresholds (∼ 104 K, ∇T ≈ 10−10 eV/m) and predict unique astrophysical signals: 511 keV positron annihilation lines, synchronized IR bursts, and neutrino–IR temporal alignments, alongside structured gas-dust cloud forma- tion. This model reframes decay as modal renewal, negating the need for a cosmic origin event and reconfiguring our understanding of dark matter, stellar evolution, and cosmological time as a rhythmic oscillation of stabilization and release within a conserved field of conflict.