Persistence or Turnover? A galaxy–galaxy lensing programme for the excess-acceleration fork in KiDS-1000. I. Pipeline, frame forensics, and instrument validation

Persistence or Turnover? A galaxy–galaxy lensing programme for the excess-acceleration fork in KiDS-1000. I. Pipeline, frame forensics, and instrument validation. Phase A of the registered fork campaign: metric-reading square-root continuation (g_ex = sqrt(a0 g_bar), no edge) versus finite-reservoir halo turnover, as stacked Delta-Sigma on public KiDS-1000 data. Delivers the production pipeline (tomographic Sigma_crit with the dead fraction, boost, random subtraction, 131-region jackknife), release-verified survey parameters, a complete instrument forensic (the xi_plus/GGL invariance triangulation and an eight-variant frame adjudication resolving e2 -> -e2 at 16.6/18.0 sigma; three isolation-criterion kills including the photo-z isolation pathology that selects label errors), instrument validation at 14.6 sigma against a never-moved 5-sigma bar, and a first two-branch structure test whose honest verdict is a draw (metric chi2 15.3/9 vs halo 16.5/8 grid-edge-pinned, flagged). The registered 8-point/0.10-dex/5-sigma acceptance bar and persistence statistic remain untouched for the Phase-B decision run. This record is part of the finite-QEC substrate / It-from-Bit publication refresh.