Temporal Coherence and the Reconstruction of Gravitational Geometry in Galaxy Clusters

This work proposes an alternative interpretation of gravitational phenomena in merging galaxy clusters based on the concept of temporal coherence. Gravitational lensing probes spacetime geometry rather than mass as a physical substance, raising questions about its interpretation in strongly non-equilibrium systems. We argue that gravitational geometry emerges only when a system achieves sufficient global temporal coherence. During violent dynamical transitions, such as cluster mergers, this coherence may be partially disrupted, delaying the reconstruction of a unified spacetime structure. In this transitional regime, lensing signals may reflect the last coherently realized geometry rather than the instantaneous baryonic distribution. The framework provides a natural explanation for observed lensing–baryon offsets without invoking additional matter components. Independent empirical evidence from atomic clock networks is presented in support of the underlying geometry–coherence dependence, and an explicit observational timescale is derived from public cluster data. The approach does not modify the equations of general relativity, but addresses the physical conditions under which geometric solutions are realized. Testable predictions are identified concerning the evolution of lensing behavior as a function of merger stage and dynamical relaxation.