compact set of six coils designed to cast a magnetic "net"ahead of the <strong>star</strong>ship and pull in the charged particles towardthe intake grills. These coils are constructed from cobaltlanthanide-boroniteand obtain their power from either thepower transfer conduits directly, or the general electro plasmasystem. At sublight velocities, the coils sweep forward normally.At warp velocities, however, the coil operation isreversed to slow down the incoming matter. This systemworks in close connection with the main navigational deflector.In normal operation, of course, the job of the deflector isto prevent any interstellar material from contacting the ship.Small field "holes" are manipulated by the deflector and MFG/C to permit usable amounts of rarified gas through.Tucked within the MFG/C is the CCF, which continuouslyseparates the incoming gas into different grades of matterconsidered "burnable" within the warp engine. The separatedgases are compressed, and pressure-fed to holding tankswithin the Battle Section.5.7 ONBOARD ANTIMATTER GENERATIONAs mentioned, there exists in the Ga/axyclass the abilityto generate relatively small amounts of antimatter duringpotential emergency situations. The process is by all accountsincredibly power- and matter-intensive, and may notbe advantageous under all operational conditions. As with theBussard ramscoop, however, the antimatter generator mayprovide critical fuel supplies when they are needed most.The antimattergenerator resides on Deck42, surroundedby other elements of the WPS. It consists of two keyassemblies, the matter inlet/conditioner (Ml/C), and the quantumcharge reversal device (QCRD). The entire generatormeasures some 7.6 x 13.7 meters, and masses 1400 metrictonnes. It is one of the heaviest components, second only tothe warp field coils. The Ml/C utilizes conventional tritaniumand polyduranide in its construction, as it handles only cryogenicdeuterium and similar fuels. The QCRD, on the otherhand, employs alternating layers of superdense, forcedmatrixcobalt-yttrium-polyduranide and 854 kalinite-argium.The Bussard ramscoop was featured in at least two episodes, "Samaritan Snare "and "Night Terrors." In both cases, the systemwas backflushed so that hydrogen gas or plasma flowed out of the scoops (rather than into them as would normally occur).In the first usage, it resulted in a spectacular (but harmless) pyrotechnic display. During "Night Terrors," the hydrogen streamwas used to attempt to seal a dangerous spatial rift. The concept of using electromagnetic fields to collect interstellar hydrogenfor fuel use was proposed by physicist Dr. Robert W. Bussard back in 1960.5.7.1 Antimatter generator
This is necessary to produce the power amplification requiredto hold collections of subatomic particles, reverse their charge,and collect the reversed matter for storage in the nearby antimatterpods.The technology that has given rise to the QCRD is similarto that of the transporter, SIF, IDF, and other devices thatmanipulate matter on the quantum level. The conversionprocess sees the inlet of normal matter, stretched out into thinrivulets no more than 0.000003 cm across. The rivulets arepressure-fed into the QCRD under magnetic suspension,where groups of them are chilled to within 0.001 degree ofabsolute zero, and exposed to a short-period stasis field tofurther limit molecular vibration. As the stasis field decays,focused subspace fields drive deep within the subatomicstructure to flip the charges and spins of the "frozen" protons,neutrons, and electrons. The flipped matter, now antimatter,is magnetically removed for storage. The system can normallyprocess 0.08 m 3 /hr.It can be said that the total potential energy contained ina given quantity of deuterium can drive a <strong>star</strong>ship for someconsiderable distance. Applying this energy at sublight speedswill be next to useless in a desperate scenario. Interstellarflight at warp speeds requires tens of thousands of timesgreater velocities than those afforded by impulse power, andso antimatter generation will sometimes be necessary. Onedisadvantage imposed by the process is that it requires tenunits of deuterium to power the generator, and the generatorwill produce only one unit of antimatter. Put another way, thelaw of conservation of energy dictates that the power requiredfor this process will exceed the usable energy ultimatelyderived from the resulting antimatter fuel. However, this mayprovide a needed survival margin to reach a <strong>star</strong>base ortanker rendezvous.5.8 ENGINEERING OPERATIONS AND SAFETYAll warp propulsion system (WPS) hardware is maintainedaccording to standard Starfleet mean time betweenfailures (MTBF) monitoring and changeout schedules. Owingto the high usage rate of the matter/antimatter reactionassembly (M/ARA), all of its major components have been designedfor maximum reliability and high MTBF values. Standardin-flight preventative maintenance is not intended for thewarp engine, since the core and the power transfer conduitscan be serviced only at a Starfleet yard or <strong>star</strong>base equippedto perform Class 5 engineering repairs. While docked at oneof these facilities, the core can be removed and dismantled forreplacement of such components as the magnetic constrictorcoils, refurbishment of interior protective coatings, and automatedinspection and repair of all critical fuel conduits. Thetypical cycle between major core inspections and repairs is10,000 operating hours.While the WPS is shut down, the matter and antimatterinjectors can be entered by <strong>star</strong>ship crew for detailed componentinspection and replacement. Accessible for preventativemaintenance (PM) work in the MRI are the inlet manifolds, fuelconditioners, fusion prebumer, magnetic quench block,transfer duct/gas combiner, nozzle head, and related controlhardware. Accessible parts within the ARI are the pulsed antimattergas flow separators and injector nozzles. A partialdisassembly of the dilithium crystal articulation frame is possiblein flight for probing by nondestructive testing (NDT)methods. Protective surface coatings may be removed andreapplied without the need for a <strong>star</strong>base layover. Inboard ofthe reactant injectors, the shock attenuation cylinders may beremoved and replaced after 5,000 hours.Within the warp engine nacelles, most sensor hardwareand control hardlines are accessible for inspection and replacement.With the core shut down and plasma ventedoverboard, the interior of the warp coils is accessible forinspection by flight crews and remote devices. In-flight repairof the plasma injectors is possible, although total replacementrequires <strong>star</strong>base assistance. As with other components,protective coatings may be refurbished as part of the normalPM program. While at low sublight, crews may access thenacelle by way of the maintenance docking port.Safety considerations when handling slush and liquiddeuterium involve extravehicular suit protection for all personnelworking around cryogenic fluids and semisolids. Allrefueling operations are to be handled by teleoperators,unless problems develop requiring crew investigation. Thekey hazard in exposure to cryogenics involves materialembrittlement, even in the case of cryoprotective garments.Care should always be taken to avoid direct contact, deferringclose-quarters handling to specialized collection tools andemergency procedures.
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