Paper 17: Quantum Time Asymmetry and Apparent CPT Asymmetry from Directional Defect Dynamics

We model spacetime as a discrete SU(2)/S³ “Holosphere” lattice where vacancy defects transport angular phase along corridor-admissible links. We show that quantum time asymmetry and apparent CPT asymmetry arise from directional defect dynamics driven by rotation-induced phase gradients, per-link gating, and finite healing. In the small-strain regime we derive a tunneling-asymmetry law with a universal healing constant γ = α/(2π) that suppresses exact reversal as V_rev(n) ∝ e^{−nγ}, and we define an operational time-asymmetry field T(x) = ∇·J_t(x). Coherence propagates only when bond-wise mismatch is below the photonic micro-step gate ε_crit = 2α; beyond this threshold, CPT-conjugate configurations are structurally inaccessible (a coherence-horizon effect) even though CPT algebra remains intact. We report simulations showing (i) T(x) activates only with a weak imposed gradient and (ii) exponential reversal suppression with slope −γ. The framework yields lab-grade predictions: orientation-conditioned phase offsets in Sagnac-class interferometers and corridor KPI shifts (steeper κ_C, narrower σ_R), plus eraser-style reversal tests that map directly onto e^{−nγ}. All effects vanish in flat, ungated, isotropic limits, positioning this as a falsifiable, geometry-first account of time asymmetry and apparent CPT deviation.