Environmental Asymmetry and Axial Rotation in Cosmic Filaments

The dynamical state of cosmic filaments remains poorly constrained. While their spatial morphology is well established, coherent filament-aligned rotation over megaparsec scales is not a generic prediction of standard structure-formation models, which typically generate vorticity only in strongly nonlinear regions. This work presents a model-agnostic observational search for coherent, axis-aligned circulation in cosmic filaments. Using filament spines identified in large-scale structure catalogs and transverse velocity estimators derived from reconstructed galaxy peculiar-velocity fields, we construct an Eulerian axial rotation proxy for individual filaments. A comprehensive suite of null tests is applied, including axis randomization, geometry-preserving permutation tests, and environment-destroying relocations that preserve sampling geometry while removing environmental organization. Key empirical results: A statistically significant filament-aligned circulation signal is detected. The signal is geometrically specific and is suppressed under axis-randomization null tests. Circulation persists under local permutation tests but is strongly suppressed when large-scale environmental structure is destroyed. Filament-level circulation shows a statistically significant anti-correlation with scalar environmental asymmetry (Spearman ρ ≈ −0.54, p ≈ 0.014); however, subsequent diagnostics demonstrate that scalar asymmetry alone is insufficient to predict rotation strength. Instead, circulation strength is found to depend primarily on the directional organization and phase coherence of transverse velocity structure, with coherent rotation suppressed in highly asymmetric or directionally incoherent environments. Scalar asymmetry therefore acts as an incomplete diagnostic rather than a controlling variable. These results indicate that filament-scale circulation is a real, geometry-locked dynamical feature of the cosmic web and cannot be readily explained by projection effects, estimator artifacts, or random velocity fluctuations alone. The findings extend recent independent detections of filament rotation (e.g., Tudorache et al. 2025, MNRAS 544:4306) by demonstrating an explicit dependence on environmental flow organization. NEW : Related Empirical Work. The circulation measurements analyzed here are presented independently in Filament-Scale Eulerian Circulation in the Cosmic Velocity Field (Beaupré 2026), DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18636236 which reports the observational detection and null-test validation without model interpretation. The empirical findings remain valid regardless of the interpretation adopted. Interpretation One possible qualitative interpretation is provided by the Spacetime Flow Hypothesis (SFH), in which gravity arises from gradients in a scalar time-flow resistance field. In this framework, coherent azimuthal flow can emerge from organized transverse gradients, while strong or incoherent asymmetry suppresses circulation. SFH is discussed solely as a consistency framework; no SFH-specific parameters are fit or tested in this work. Foundational Theory Spacetime Flow Hypothesis — Core Field-Theoretic Framework. DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18140096 Defines the flow-field, scalar resistance α(x), drift law, energy conservation, and Lagrangian. Empirical Validation Gravitational Wave Orbital Decay — Binary pulsars (leading-order agreement with GR from first principles). DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18214948 SN1a — Luminosity distance + time dilation (χ²/dof = 0.934). DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18217479 Galaxy Rotation Curves — 20/20 fits without dark matter. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18136466 Gravitational Lensing Time Delays — 10 strong-lens delays from baryons only. DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18136510 Predictive Frontier (New V2) Fast-Flow Bubble — Local void explains Hubble tension (11σ match to Pantheon+ residuals). DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18136251 (New V2) ISW Effect — The Integrated Sachs–Wolfe Effect without Dark Energy: A Causal Gradient Prediction. DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18136185 Together with prior empirical validations of SFH across binary pulsars, supernova time dilation, galaxy rotation curves, gravitational lensing delays, and large-scale ISW correlations, the present filament-rotation result supports a unified, causal interpretation of gravity based on gradients in the flow of proper time. Filament rotation emerges not as an imposed feature, but as a testable consequence of environmental asymmetry. Version 3 (February 2026). Refines the interpretation of the rotation–environment relationship, clarifies the distinction between empirical results and qualitative interpretation, and aligns the description with updated directional-coherence diagnostics. No data, estimators, or statistical results were changed.