Coherence Field Dynamics and Emergent Geometry in Aetherium

Coherence Field Dynamics and Emergent Geometry in Aetherium develops the technical foundation of the Aetherium framework, in which matter, geometry, and cosmology arise from a single bounded scalar field C(xμ). The theory replaces the dual ontology of general relativity and quantum field theory with a unified substrate governed by a nonlinear conservation law. Coherence gradients generate curvature through an emergent disformal metric, while localized excitations—oscillons—serve as matter analogues. Collapse of oscillons produces smooth, horizonless compact objects called coherence wells, which mimic black hole phenomenology without singularities or event horizons. Homogeneous evolution of the coherence field yields a cyclic cosmology with no big bang, no inflation, and natural late‑time acceleration. This manuscript develops the axioms, field equation, emergent geometry, collapse structure, cosmological implications, and observational signatures of the coherence‑based ontology, establishing the theoretical backbone for the Aetherium research program.