Physical Mechanics of Vacuum Knots and Mass Generation

The Standard Model of particle physics successfully classifies elementary particles but lacks a mechanical explanation for their masses, relying on 17 arbitrary scalar constants. We propose a geometric solution: the vacuum is a discrete, resistive Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) lattice. In this framework, particles are topological defects (knots) formed by lattice links. We demonstrate that particle mass is the elastic strain energy of these knots. This model successfully predicts the mass of the Tau lepton to within 0.6% (predicted vs observed), explains the three-generation limit via geometric exclusion, and resolves the origin of the Higgs Boson as a lattice resonance.