Quantum Tunneling as Virtual Domain Excursion: Resolving Barrier Penetration Through Dual Regulator Framework

This paper presents a finite, physical resolution of quantum tunneling within the Dual Regulator Framework, interpreting barrier penetration as a temporary excursion into the virtual domain rather than a paradoxical traversal of classically forbidden space. In this framework, particles encountering a potential barrier transition from the real domain (on-shell, position space, RG-regulated) into a virtual domain (off-shell, momentum space, Λφ-regulated), where position-space potentials are undefined. After traversing the barrier off-shell, particles re-emerge into the real domain on the opposite side. Energy conservation is preserved through finite energy–time uncertainty, without invoking nonphysical violations. The formalism yields a modified tunneling length scale and probability law, introducing a universal Λφ correction to standard WKB results. This leads to quantitative, testable predictions across multiple systems, including: alpha decay half-lives with sub-percent accuracy across the periodic table, scanning tunneling microscope current–distance relations with φ-harmonic structure, ammonia inversion frequency corrected by a (1 + Λφ/π) factor matching experiment, tunneling time saturation consistent with the Hartman effect and attosecond measurements. All results derive solely from the Trinity constants {π, φ, e} with zero adjustable parameters. The paper resolves the tunneling mystery by identifying tunneling as a finite, domain-limited physical process rather than a purely mathematical artifact. This work constitutes Paper IV in a planned sequence addressing foundational inconsistencies in quantum field theory, following finite resolutions of measurement, wave–particle duality, and entanglement. Licenses Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 Internationa