Mass-Dependent Plasticity in the Nuclear Soliton:Why Heavy Nuclei Sustain Higher Geometric Stress

Previous work has established that the stability of atomic nuclei follows a precise geometric backbone defined by thecompetition between vacuum surface tension and core compression. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of thedeviations from this backbone to determine the mechanical properties of nuclear matter. By filtering for Even-N isotopesto remove pairing noise, we reveal that nuclear stability forms distinct harmonic potential wells centered at zero geometricstress. Crucially, we report that the ”stiffness” of these wells is not universal. Through an envelope analysis of nuclearhalf-lives against geometric stress (∆Q), we find that light nuclei (A < 40) exhibit a high Decay Modulus (µ ≈ 1.99),characterizing them as mechanically ”brittle” systems that fail under minimal deviation. In contrast, heavy nuclei(A > 140) exhibit a much lower modulus (µ ≈ 1.17), indicating a ”plastic” response that allows them to sustain largegeometric deformations (∆Q > 9) before reaching the drip line. This mass-dependent plasticity provides a first-principlesexplanation for the ”Lithium Anomaly”—why light isotopes like 8Li destabilize under stresses that heavy isotopes easilyendure—and suggests that the ”Strong Force” acts as a variable-stiffness spring governed by the total volume of thesolitonic lattice.