Information-Theoretic Indications of Lorentzian Signature Emergence and E8 Geometric Coupling: Technical Report on the IRIS Framework

1. OVERVIEW We present IRIS, an exploratory information-theoretic framework investigating how spacetime structure and its energy densities emerge from quantum-informational principles. 2. CORE NUMERICAL FINDING Computational minimization of an information functional I[ρ] on finite quantum systems (N=60) provides model-dependent evidence that states with Lorentzian spacetime signatures are informationally favored over Euclidean configurations (ΔI = 33.29 > 0, robust under parameter variations). This suggests that causal, time-oriented spacetime may arise as a preferred "parsimonious" configuration rather than being an a priori assumption. 3. DARK SECTOR & COSMOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS This version extends the framework to address the dark sector through the lens of Informational Drag Dynamics. By treating the E8 Gosset lattice as a porous informational substrate, we derive the observed cosmological densities from geometric principles: Dark Matter: Inferred as a dual-component system consisting of a static structural mass (11.84%) and a dynamic "apparent" mass (14.66%) arising from the coupling of information flux to 128 spinorial channels of the E8 lattice. Dark Energy: Modeled as the residual vacuum tension (67.8%) following a "pressure drop" across the lattice. This provides a geometric resolution to the Hubble Tension by redefining the Cosmological Constant as a dynamic state variable linked to the E8 root system. 4. THEORETICAL CONTEXT & METHODOLOGY The framework explores connections to M-theory-inspired compactifications (S³×K3) and specific topological constraints (r=8 dimensions, k=9 Kaluza-Klein modes, N=60 quantum states). This work documents a human-AI collaborative approach to foundational physics, where conceptual direction was provided by the author, with AI systems serving as formalization and computational tools. A complete Python implementation is provided for reproducibility. 5. STATUS Open research artifact. Not peer-reviewed. The core numerical result is reproducible; broader theoretical implications remain conjectural. This version supersedes previous iterations or deposit by providing the formal momentum-transfer derivation for the vacuum energy discrepancy.