Atmospheric Collapse and Spectral Redshift in Exoplanets: A MEG-Based Challenge to General Relativity

This paper presents observational evidence that challenges the applicability of General Relativity (GR) to atmospheric erosion and redshift behavior in irradiated exoplanets. Using high-resolution spectral data from systems like HD 209458b, WASP-121b, and GJ 436b, we show that classical models based on escape velocity and GR-based curvature fail to predict which planets retain or lose mass — and incorrectly forecast the presence and direction of redshifted outflows.We introduce the Mass–Energy Gravity (MEG) framework as a predictive alternative, using a scalar steepness metric (ρₑDG) that combines mass, radius, and orbital velocity to quantify energy redistribution pressure. MEG successfully explains redshift, tail morphology, and field stability as consequences of quantized steepness dynamics, not surface curvature.The results demonstrate that redshift arises from field coherence loss — not escape from a gravitational well — and that mass-loss behavior is governed by structural steepness thresholds, not thermal energy or gravitational binding. This falsifies key GR predictions in this domain and positions MEG as a more accurate, field-coherent model of planetary collapse.All methods, equations, and case studies are provided, along with a falsifiability framework and testable predictions for JWST-era observations.