A Unified Hybrid Framework for Non-Gravitational Accelerations in Interstellar Objects: Integrating Cometary Outgassing with Universal Spatio-Temporal Field Effects

This framework integrates traditional cometary outgassing with the Spatio-Temporal Ladder Theory (STLT) to provide a unified dynamical explanation for anomalous accelerations. The non-gravitational accelerations (NGAs) observed in the three confirmed interstellar objects—1I/ʻOumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1)—present a profound challenge to our understanding of both cometary physics and the local interstellar environment. While traditional asymmetric outgassing models successfully explain comets with visible activity (coma, tails, and spectroscopic signatures), they struggle to account for the NGA of the enigmatic 1I/ʻOumuamua, which exhibited no detectable sublimation products. Conversely, field-theoretic approaches inspired by Spatio-Temporal Ladder Theory (STLT) offer elegant universal mechanisms but must reconcile with direct observational evidence of volatile sublimation in active objects. This paper proposes a comprehensive Hybrid Acceleration Model (HAM) that synthesizes both paradigms: dominant asymmetric outgassing for volatile-rich, active bodies, supplemented by a weak, persistent background field component that provides a universal baseline acceleration. This framework naturally explains the diversity of interstellar objects—from the 'silent' 1I to the spectacularly active 3I—while maintaining falsifiability through specific, quantitative predictions for 3I/ATLAS's trajectory beyond 5 AU during 2026-2028. Critically, we predict that 3I/ATLAS will exhibit a residual transverse acceleration with systematic directional evolution locked to the v × Q geometric relationship, providing a decisive test to distinguish field coupling from pure outgassing mechanisms.