A Structural Reinterpretation of the Strong Interaction

This work presents a conceptual and structural reinterpretation of nuclear phenomena traditionally attributed to the strong interaction. Rather than treating the strong interaction as a fundamental force, the paper proposes that its observed properties—short range, high apparent strength, saturation, and context-dependent stability—can be understood as emergent consequences of finite compression constraints and admissible cooperative configurations at nuclear scales. Within this framework, neutrons are reinterpreted as fully compressed information states that are unstable in isolation but become stable when embedded within cooperative compression structures supported by partially compressed states.Atomic nuclei are consequently described not as force-bound assemblies, but as collective compression configurations whose stability is determined by structural admissibility rather than pairwise attraction. The atomic number is further redefined as a dimensionless structural index labeling discrete, stable twist strengths associated with these configurations, offering a unified organizational perspective on nuclear structure and elemental identity. This work does not introduce new particles, modify established experimental results, or provide quantitative predictions. Instead, it aims to clarify the structural origin of effective force-based descriptions such as quantum chromodynamics, positioning them as emergent representations of deeper configurational constraints. The paper is released as a preprint to openly document the conceptual framework, including the collaborative use of AI systems in its development.