The Neutron Lifetime Resolution: A Replication‑Ready Analysis

This preprint presents a replication‑ready phenomenological model that resolves the long‑standing neutron‑lifetime discrepancy between beam and bottle experiments. The model introduces a small, bounded leakage term that activates only under specific high‑strain conditions, reproducing the magnitude and conditionality of historical differences without invoking exotic particles. Complete scripts, sensitivity sweeps, and numerical predictions are provided for independent verification. The longstanding discrepancy between beam and bottle measurements of the neutron lifetime—typically on the order of several seconds—remains one of the most persistent and intriguing anomalies in nuclear and particle physics. Numerous explanations have been proposed, ranging from overlooked systematic errors to exotic decay channels, but a robust, testable, non‑exotic resolution has not been widely accepted. This preprint introduces a replication‑ready phenomenological model in which a small, bounded leakage term is activated only under specific high‑strain geometric conditions. The model requires no new particles, modifies no Standard Model couplings, and leaves sub‑threshold regimes fully consistent with modern precision measurements. Instead, the approach focuses on a conditional activation mechanism governed by two smooth gating functions: G(ξ): an activation gate triggered when a dimensionless strain parameter ξ exceeds a critical threshold ξ_c, H(Ω²; μ): a stiffness-gate that modulates the leakage magnitude based on Ω²/μ² ratios. Together, these gates bound the correction termΔτ = τ_beam · f_leak,allowing the model to reproduce both the magnitude and conditionality of historical discrepancies. The work includes complete replication code, sensitivity sweeps, and numerical outputs that allow any reader to recompute all predictions directly. Parameter scans confirm that leakage is negligible in low‑strain conditions—predicting agreement between modern cold‑beam and bottle experiments—while older high‑strain configurations naturally exhibit the several‑second deficits historically observed. This preprint is designed for physicists, phenomenologists, and experimentalists interested in anomaly resolution, model testing, and reproducible analysis. All figures, scripts, and parameter sets are included to permit immediate verification and extension. No speculative physics is introduced; all deviations arise solely from the analytic form of the bounded leakage function. Key contributions include: A non-exotic, condition‑dependent mechanism for beam–bottle divergence A complete, transparent, replication‑ready computational pipeline Sensitivity analyses illustrating where and why leakage activates Smooth mathematical behavior consistent with nuclear‑physics expectations Clear predictions for both historical and modern experimental regimes This work is intended to support open scientific discussion, provide a testable phenomenological alternative to exotic decay hypotheses, and offer a clean platform for follow‑up analysis by both theorists and experimental collaborators.