Toward a Cyclic Universe: Phase 3 of the Unified Loop Framework

Phase 3 of the Unified Loop Framework extends the Mutable Dark Sector theory (Welton, 2026a) and the Macroscopic Atomic Structure proposal (Welton, 2026b) to the universe itself. This paper proposes that the universe operates as a single self-restarting system, with each cosmic cycle finite and Ouroboros-structured (beginning and ending in the same compact configuration) and the sequence of cycles continuing indefinitely. It is the same universe that restarts itself, rather than a chain of separate offspring universes, distinguishing the proposal from Penrose's Conformal Cyclic Cosmology, Steinhardt-Turok cyclic models, and Smolin's cosmological natural selection. Within mature cycles, supermassive black hole nuclei consume and emit matter along their spin axes, producing a bipolar channel structure consistent with observed jet morphology. Matter traces figure-8 trajectories through this structure, producing a dual spatial signature: a dipolar instantaneous footprint (matching the observed Dipole Repeller) and a figure-8 accumulated pattern (the long-term integrated flow). Each cycle progresses through a developmental sequence of phases, from chaotic micro-violent origins through macroscopic Goldilocks efficiency to starvation and contraction back toward the compact state. Transitions evolve from violent bang-mode events in early cycles to gradual leak-mode events in mature ones, with the transition shell protected from collapse by a balance of cumulative wear, scale growth alongside the cycles, and structural repair during the compact inter-cycle state. A buffer mechanism, in which lighter material such as radiation and gas leaks through ahead of the main transition, cushions the shell against impact damage. Cosmic voids are hypothesised to form off-axis to the active dipolar flow, where the mutable scalar field has settled at a neutral median state. They may persist as Legacy zones across transitions, with stellar remnants such as red dwarfs and white dwarfs located within voids functioning as fully mutable Legacy carriers that can be reignited by fresh material. A cosmic wind operates throughout the universe as a redistribution mechanism, connecting habitable zones to the broader cosmic redistribution network. The framework's structural predictions have been verified through stress testing across natural parameter ranges, with the brake-to-forward ratio observationally calibrated to approximately 43 to 45 per cent (equivalent to the calibration of standard ΛCDM parameters) reproducing the observed dark-sector ratio. The framework's distinctive predictions connect to documented observations including bipolar black-hole jet morphology, the Dipole Repeller, the Shapley Concentration, James Webb Space Telescope observations of unexpectedly mature high-redshift galaxies, and the KBC void Hubble Tension debate. The hypothesis draws on ongoing research into cyclic cosmology, cosmologically coupled black holes, and interacting dark sector models, offering a specific architectural synthesis rather than an independent proposal. It remains a hypothetical contribution offered as a conceptual bridge for future investigation. Collaboration is warmly invited from theorists and observational cosmologists to refine, formalise, test, or challenge these ideas, including cross-referencing with upcoming data from Euclid, Roman, and ongoing DESI releases.