The two branches of the local node are not the two nonzero T_2 roots. The full Hecke algebra separates one Q_3 branch off semisimply, and glues the other two.
Using the T_2 factor labels modulo 27, the three singular Q_3 characters are:
V1 root: O(3^120)V5 root: 3 + 3^2 + 3^4 + 2*3^5 + 3^7 + 2*3^9 + 2*3^10 + 3^11 + 3^15 + 3^17 + 2*3^19 + 2*3^20 + 3^21 + 2*3^22 + 2*3^24 + 3^26 + 2*3^27 + 2*3^28 + 3^29 + 2*3^31 + 2*3^32 + 2*3^34 + 3^36 + 2*3^37 + 3^38 + 3^39 + 3^40 + 3^41 + 2*3^44 + 2*3^45 + 2*3^47 + 2*3^48 + 3^49 + 3^54 + 2*3^56 + 2*3^57 + 3^58 + 3^60 + 3^61 + 3^62 + 2*3^63 + 3^64 + 2*3^65 + 2*3^66 + 3^69 + 3^71 + 3^72 + 2*3^73 + 3^74 + 3^75 + 3^76 + 3^77 + 3^79 + 3^83 + 2*3^84 + 3^85 + 2*3^87 + 2*3^88 + 3^89 + 3^90 + 2*3^91 + 2*3^93 + 3^94 + 3^97 + 3^100 + 2*3^102 + 2*3^104 + 3^108 + 2*3^109 + 3^111 + 2*3^112 + 2*3^113 + 2*3^114 + 2*3^116 + 2*3^118 + 3^119 + O(3^120)V7 root: 3 + 3^3 + 3^4 + 2*3^5 + 2*3^6 + 3^7 + 3^8 + 3^9 + 2*3^11 + 2*3^13 + 2*3^14 + 3^16 + 3^17 + 2*3^18 + 3^19 + 3^21 + 2*3^23 + 3^24 + 3^25 + 3^27 + 2*3^28 + 3^29 + 3^30 + 2*3^31 + 3^34 + 3^35 + 2*3^37 + 2*3^38 + 3^39 + 3^40 + 2*3^41 + 3^44 + 3^46 + 3^49 + 2*3^51 + 2*3^52 + 2*3^54 + 2*3^59 + 3^60 + 3^61 + 2*3^63 + 3^65 + 3^66 + 3^67 + 3^68 + 2*3^71 + 3^72 + 2*3^74 + 2*3^75 + 3^76 + 3^77 + 3^78 + 3^79 + 3^81 + 2*3^82 + 3^83 + 2*3^85 + 3^86 + 3^88 + 3^89 + 2*3^90 + 3^91 + 2*3^92 + 3^93 + 3^95 + 2*3^96 + 3^97 + 2*3^98 + 3^100 + 3^101 + 2*3^102 + 3^103 + 2*3^104 + 3^105 + 3^108 + 2*3^109 + 3^110 + 2*3^111 + 3^113 + 3^114 + 3^115 + 2*3^116 + 3^117 + 2*3^118 + O(3^120)| operator | V1 (mod 3) | V5 (mod 3) | V7 (mod 3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 43 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 67 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 163 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
27| operator | V1 (mod 27) | V5 (mod 27) | V7 (mod 27) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| 3 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
| 7 | 2 | 14 | 8 |
| 11 | 21 | 6 | 12 |
| 19 | 21 | 12 | 20 |
| 43 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| 67 | 25 | 4 | 14 |
| 163 | 26 | 26 | 1 |
V1_V5 congruent mod 3 on all Heegner operators? TrueV1_V7 congruent mod 3 on all Heegner operators? FalseV5_V7 congruent mod 3 on all Heegner operators? FalseThe glued local pair is V1_V5.
So the node is formed by the rational branch V1 and one 3-adic branch from the degree-5 orbit. The degree-7 branch is the semisimple Z_3 factor split off by the lifted idempotent from T_3. At the first nontrivial separation scale, T_11 already distinguishes the two branches modulo 27: T_11(V1) = 21 ≡ -6, T_11(V5) = 6, while T_163(V1) = T_163(V5) = 26 ≡ -1. The split branch is characterized by the opposite Atkin–Lehner sign on this local trio: T_163(V7) = 1, so the node is exactly the collision of the two U_163 = -1 branches, with the U_163 = +1 branch split off semisimply.
The correct ‘north/south/vacuum’ picture is controlled by the full Hecke algebra, not by T_2 alone. T_2 sees three roots reducing to 0 mod 3, but T_3 separates one of them off semisimply. The remaining two are the actual local branches of the node.