ZIP Gravitational Collapse as a Phase Transition of a Coherence Field

This preprint presents a phenomenological interpretation of gravitational collapse within the ZIP (Zonal Information–Coherence) framework. The work models gravitational collapse not as a singularity in spacetime, but as a phase transition of a coherence field that modulates effective gravitational influence while preserving the formal structure of general relativity. In this interpretation, matter becomes informationally localized while the underlying spacetime field remains continuous; the event horizon appears as a phase boundary rather than a material singularity. Black hole entropy scaling and information retention are interpreted through gradients in the coherence field. This work is part of the Structural Limits series within the ZIP framework and expands on the notion that classical singularities in general relativity can be reinterpreted as transitions between distinct informational–coherence regimes. The framework is formulated to be compatible with current observational constraints and to provide a clear conceptual alternative to traditional singularity formation, offering potential avenues for further mathematical refinement and empirical investigation.