Pre-Registered Observational Tests of Memory-Mediated Spiral Disk Dynamics: Predictions for the Legacy Survey of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time

We present pre-registered observational predictions for spiral galaxy disk dynamics formulated prior to full survey operations of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time. The framework proposes that quasi-steady spiral galaxy disks retain a finite structural memory timescale regulating spiral phase coherence and disk kinematic gradients. A dynamical argument based on shear-limited phase coherence yields a characteristic timescale tau0 approximately 2–3 gigayears. Six observational predictions are presented, including explicit limits on spiral phase coherence, phase drift rate, and disk kinematic gradients. Agreement with these thresholds would support long-timescale structural memory in spiral galaxy disks, while violation would falsify the framework. This work extends the author’s prior preprints developing memory-mediated disk dynamics and provides a pre-registered observational program for testing the theory using Rubin Observatory data.This work provides pre-registered observational tests designed to be evaluated using forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time galaxy samples.