Lmax_v11: Photon‑Stretch Geometry, Affine‑Parameter Cosmology,

Introduction Summary Lmaxv11 presents a cosmological framework in which the large‑scale appearance of an expanding universe arises not from metric expansion of spacetime, but from the geometric behaviour of photons as they propagate over extreme distances. The theory proposes that photons possess a finite affine‑parameter limit, \(L{max}\), determined by local gravitational and magnetic environments. As photons travel, their electromagnetic fields undergo progressive geometric stretch, producing the observed redshift and flux dimming without requiring spacetime to expand. When a photon reaches its affine limit, its oscillation collapses into a mixture of recoverable energy and unrecoverable geometric residue. This residue volumetrically accretes into the surrounding manifold, giving rise to the apparent expansion signal normally attributed to dark energy. Under this interpretation, spacetime remains globally Euclidean, cosmic horizons become environment‑dependent rather than universal, and many observational tensions—such as early galaxy formation, SN Ia scatter, and CMB uniformity—are reinterpreted as consequences of photon‑stretch physics rather than early‑universe dynamics. The framework is explicitly falsifiable through JWST deep‑field structure, SN Ia distance correlations, absorption‑line boundaries, and laboratory analogues of EM‑field collapse. If validated, Lmax_v11 replaces metric expansion with photon‑geometry evolution as the central mechanism shaping cosmological observation.