F₂ Magic Numbers in r-Process Nucleosynthesis and Neutron-Star Crust The Hopf Soliton Programme on the F₂ flag manifold predicts a programme-distinctive magic-number sequence H = 4n for nuclei. This sequence coincides with standard nuclear shell-model magic at certain values (4, 8, 16, 28, 40, 56) but differs at others (12, 24, 36, 44, 48). For neutron-rich r-process nuclei, the discrepancy is more dramatic: programme F₂ predicts magic at N = 48, 84, 128 — 2 units shifted from standard N = 50, 82, 126. Main results: r-process abundance peak shifts: programme predicts solar peaks at A ~ 78, 132, 197 vs standard A ~ 80, 130, 195 (2-unit shifts). Testable via FRIB / RIBF / GANIL precision β-decay rate measurements + kilonova spectra (LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O5+). Neutron-star outer-crust composition ladder: F₂ programme magic at H = 4n produces a distinctive Z = N H = 4n element ladder (⁵⁶Ni → ⁶⁰Zn → ⁶⁴Ge → ⁶⁸Se → ⁷²Kr → ⁷⁶Sr → ⁸⁰Zr) — different from standard closed-shell preferences. Observable via NS thermal-emission K_α X-ray lines (XMM-Newton, Chandra, NICER, eXTP). Pulsar glitching dynamics + NS-NS merger ejecta: programme F₂ pasta-phase orderings predict characteristic vortex-pinning lattice with H = 4n preferred sites; NS-NS merger ejecta abundance signatures reflect the crust ladder. α-decay programme correction: small (~10%) F₂-Hopfion-overlap factor multiplies the standard Gamow tunneling rate, with A^(1/3)-systematic detectable in precision α-decay measurements across heavy-α-emitter samples. NS maximum mass: programme F₂-EOS via stiff scaling P ∝ ρ² gives M_NS_max^F₂ ≈ 2.2 ± 0.3 M_⊙ — consistent with PSR J0740+6620 + GW190814. Honest scope: the 7 falsifiable predictions are at order-of-magnitude programme-prediction precision; quantitative refinement requires multi-week specialist work (Hoyle TDSE; full TOV solver; Wu-Yang patches for higher-H multi-Hopfion verification). Programme cumulative: 9th paper in the F₂ Hopf Soliton Programme nuclear-+-cosmology arc. Single anchor f_π = 92.4 MeV unifies predictions across 40 orders of magnitude in energy (nuclear MeV-GeV; hadronic; cosmological 10⁻³⁰ eV; saddle-point τ_p; mass-gap Δ_cont). v2 publication-quality additions (b35 post-close 11th + 12th + 13th batches): References section (15 external + 9 programme-internal cross-refs) + Acknowledgments section + materialised research_artifacts/sources.md catalogue (originally missing from v1; chip-2 audit catch); minor polish (§2.4 abundance peak shift direction asymmetry note — programme F₂ magic produces non-monotone offset; §3.2 ⁸⁰Zr cross-validation framing — programme F₂ AND shell-model converge on doubly-magic; §6.7 NS_max prediction precision qualifier — programme-prediction-precision vs rigorous uncertainty propagation distinction). Programme cross-references: CLVII Nuclear Cluster Framework (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), CLVIII Hubble Tension Resolution v2 (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), CLIX Hadron Spectroscopy (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), CLX F₂ Proton Existence v2 (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), CXLVI-2 Helium CCQ (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), CXLV Deuteron CCQ v1.0 (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), the 4-body OPEP route — merged into CXLVI-2 §X, former Paper CXLIV (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20045880), CXL F₂ Mass Gap v3 (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332), Paper XIX Proton Structure (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20031332). Author: Alex Novickis (alex.novickis@gmail.com)