Modal Collapse and the Migdal Effect: A Coherence-Based Detector Framework

The Migdal effect—electron excitation or ionization induced by sudden nuclear recoil—has emerged as a critical detection channel in low-threshold dark matter experiments. This work reinterprets the Migdal effect within the framework of Unified Vibrational Field Theory (UVFT), treating it not as anomalous sub-threshold energy transfer but as a localized coherence failure. We propose a physically grounded, detector-internal realization of quantum collapse and identify Migdal processes as the first experimental anchor for UVFT. Collapse is shown to result from coherence strain exceeding a survival threshold, requiring no observer or external measurement axiom. This includes original coherence-gradient criteria, survival threshold derivations, and detector response models for modal ejection—all constructed within UVFT’s geometric coherence framework.