franchise-star-trek-tng-technical-manual1

5.4 ANTIMATTER STORAGE AND TRANSFER5.4.1 Location of antimatter podsSince its confirmed existence in the 1930s, the conceptof a form of matter with the same mass but reversed chargeand spin has intrigued scientists and engineers as a means toproduce unprecedented amounts of energy, and to apply thatenergy to drive large space vehicles.Cosmological theory maintains that all constituent partsof the universe were created in pairs; that is, one particle ofmatter and one particle of antimatter. Why there seems to bea propensity toward matter in our galactic neighborhood is, tothis day, a topic of lively discussion. All of the basic antiparticleshave been synthesized, however, and are available forcontinued experimental and operational use.When, for example, an electron and an antielectron (orpositron) are in close proximity, they mutually annihilate,producing energetic gamma rays. Other particle-antiparticlepairs annihilate into different combinations of subatomicparticles and energy. Of particular interest to spacecraftengineers were the theoretical results presented by deuterium,an isotope of hydrogen, and its antimatter equivalent.The problems encountered along the way to achieving aworking M/A engine, however, were as daunting as thepossible rewards were glorious. Antimatter, from the time ofits creation, could neither be contained by nor touch anymatter. Numerous schemes were proposed to contain antihydrogenby magnetic fields. This continues to be the acceptedmethod. Appreciable amounts of antihydrogen, in the form ofliquid or, better yet, slush, posed significant risks should anyportion of the magnetic containment fail. Within the last fiftyyears, reliable superconducting field sustainers and othermeasures have afforded a greater degree of safety aboardoperational Starfleet vessels.As used aboard the USS Enterprise, antimatter is firstgenerated at major Starfleet fueling facilities by combinedsolar-fusion charge reversal devices, which process protonand neutron beams into antideuterons, and are joined by apositron beam accelerator to produce antihydrogen (specificallyantideuterium). Even with the added solar dynamo input,there is a net energy loss of 24% using this process, but thisloss is deemed acceptable by Starfleet to conduct distantinterstellar operations.The antimatter is kept contained by magnetic conduitsand compartmentalized tankage while aboard the fuelingfacility. Early starships were also constructed with compartmentalizedtankage in place, though this method proved lessdesirable from a safety standpoint in a ship subjected to highstresses. During normal refueling, antimatter is passedthrough the loading port, a 1.75 meter-wide circular probeand-droguedevice equipped with twelve physical hard-docklatches and magnetic irises. Surrounding the antimatterloading port on Deck 42 are thirty storage pods, each measuring4x8 meters and constructed of polyduranium, with aninner magnetic field layer of ferric quonium. Each podMost privileged visitors to our main engine room set are duly impressed with the sense of "really being on the Enterprise."Even so, there is still something missing. That "something" is the almost subliminal ambience added through backgroundsound effects. The viewer is rarely consciously aware of it, but the characteristic low thrumming sound of the engine room orthe instrument sounds of the bridge are a powerful part of "being there." Sound effects on Star Trek: The Next Generationare the province of associate producer Wendy Neuss. Under the supervision of co-producer Peter Lauritson, Wendy overseesthe Emmy award-winning sound effects wizardry of supervising sound editor Bill Wistrom, sound effects editor Jim Wolvington,and assistant sound effects editor Tomi Tomita. (The original development of many Enterprise sound effects was alsooverseen by series creator Gene Roddenberry, along with Rick Berman, Bob Justman, and Brooke Breton.)These sound effects are usually the product of extensive digital processing, but many are built from surprisingly mundanesources. Despite the advanced technology available, our sound people generally prefer to start with acoustically recorded"natural" sounds because they feel the resulting harmonics are much more rich and interesting than purely synthesized tones.The bridge background sound includes the highly processed sound of an air conditioner's rumble. The characteristic "swoosh"of the doors opening is based on the sound of a flare gun with a bit of the squeak of Jim Wolvington's sneaker on the floor atModern Sound.Most Enterprise sound effects are deliberately reminiscent of the sounds from the original Star Trek television series, butwith a high-tech twist. Some, like the communicators and the ship's phasers, are actually derived from the first show's sounds.Alien sounds can come from a wide variety of sources such as the voices of the Bynars (from "11001001") which was built byprogramming brief "samples" of the actresses' voices into a Synclavier, then playing them back with a cadence much fasterthan normal human speech. The sound of "Tin Man's" interior was actually based on the sound of Wolvington's stomach,recorded through a stethoscope. Notes Wolvington, "I didn 't tell anyone where that noise came from until after the show wasdone because I didn't want anyone to get sick!"