The Excitation Principle: Predictions for Quintessential Inflation prior to DESI Year 5

This document outlines the falsifiable predictions of the "Excitation Principle," a framework utilizing the trace-free Einstein equations of unimodular gravity to address the cosmological constant problem. The framework proposes that only quantum excitations above the ground state source spacetime curvature, identifying dark energy as the residual excitation of the inflaton field. Specific forecasts are recorded for the dark energy equation of state (w_0 > -1, w_a < 0) and inflationary observables (r \approx 0.001–0.005) based on an \alpha-attractor potential. These predictions are documented in March 2026 to provide a verifiable reference point prior to the full DESI Year 5 data release. The framework is overconstrained across five independent observable channels, making it strictly falsifiable.