Gravitational Waves as Dynamic Pathway-Geometry Ripples: Calibrated Strain, Propagation, Detector Response, Ringdown, and Residual Tests in USP Field Theory (msf:49850 v1.1)

This document develops a standalone gravitational-wave foundation for USP Field Theory. General Relativity, numerical relativity, post-Newtonian theory, calibrated interferometer response, and LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA waveform analysis remain the quantitative baseline. USP contributes a constrained interpretation layer in which a gravitational wave is described as a propagating change in non-material pathway geometry: a dynamic pathway shadow generated by a time-dependent asymmetric mass–energy source. The central operational bridge uses a fixed normalization convention where the measurable field remains the transverse-traceless tensor strain, mapped exactly to the baseline General Relativity prediction. Any distinct USP contribution is introduced strictly as a bounded, predeclared residual in generation, amplitude, phase, polarization, propagation, detector response, or ringdown. The document supplies baseline equations, source and detector maps, propagation guardrails, atomic-sensor extensions, reproducibility requirements, and ten predeclared falsification criteria.