The Neutron Lifetime Puzzle in G-MaTT: Environmental Torsion and Topological Decay

Abstract The neutron lifetime discrepancy between beam (τ_beam ≈ 888.0 ± 2.0 s) and bottle (τ_bottle ≈ 879.5 ± 0.8 s) methods—Δτ ≈ 8.5 s at 4.4σ—remains unresolved despite refinements in Standard Model calculations and experimental systematics. In Generalized Mass as Twisted Time (G-MaTT), the neutron is a coherent braid composite in the torsion field ℳ_μ, with decay as topological reconfiguration modulated by the TUT (Twist-UnTwist) weight. We show the discrepancy arises from environmental ℳ_μ coupling: bottle walls induce desynchronization, suppressing decay rate by ~1%. Deriving Γ = Γ_0 · 𝒲_TUT[ℳ_env], we predict Δτ/τ ≈ - (β' N_corr δℳ²)/2 ≈ -0.009 (8.4 s), with β' ≈ 1.2 from nuclear coherence and δℳ² ≈ 0.004 from TUT. Mass renormalization via collective modes (λ ≈ 10 nm) yields η ≈ 10^{-3}, consistent with 0.2% ΔQ shift. Predictions include material dependence (Cd enhancement 1.5–2×), distance oscillations (Λ ≈ 0.5 mm), and hysteresis—testable at J-PARC BL3 (2026). This resolves the puzzle geometrically, linking to cadmium interferometry anomalies and bound neutron stability.