Antimatter

Antimatter was a generalized term used to describe a state of matter which was different in some significant way from another state of matter. The term applied to any of the following, individually or in combinations:
*A subatomic particle of matter with the opposite charge of another particle that has a charge (e.g., an electron);
*A subatomic particle of matter that is a variant of, but with very different properties of, another particle (e.g., a ); and/or
*Matter which is physically identical at a macro level to, but exists in a parallel universe from, other matter.
== Matter/antimatter reaction ==
:See: matter-antimatter reaction
== Uses ==
Antimatter has been used for a variety of purposes. Depending on the type of antimatter in use, it can interact with, modify, or destroy normal matter. As a result, it has been used for everything from a component of weapons of mass destruction to a fuel source, scanning technology, and medical uses.
Aboard the , in the Engineering Systems Database, there were folders titled Antimatter Safety Procedures, Antimatter Generation Replicator Programs, and Antimatter Storage and Loading Protocol. Each folder contained technical manuals relevant to the topic. (, okudagram)
In 2366 the non-corporeal s drained antimatter from the antimatter containment pods of the to use it as energy to create their replica of Marla Aster. This was stopped by increasing the shield harmonics to match the antimatter containment effectively severing the Koinonian beam. ()
Antimatter could be transported using a portable magnetic vacuum field chamber, including through the transporter. ()
Antimatter was generated by the ion maelstroms on the Class P planet Ysida and could be gathered by harnessing the lightning generated by the storms. Commander Adreek-Hu successfully used a device to collect compressed antimatter for the in this manner. ()
== Antimatter and time ==
23rd century Federation starships discovered that there was a relationship between some types of antimatter – most notably that used on board – and time. What was observed was that certain controlled implosions of antimatter could result in time disruptions, including travel forward and backward in time. This was experienced in 2266 by the . ()
In 2364, Data had to realign one of Dr. Manheim's systems on Vandor IV with antimatter to stop a series of time distortions known as the Manheim Effect. ()
== Background information ==
This article does not attempt to explain antimatter solely in the way we understand it in the 21st century. For instance, in the real world antimatter can also be any of the following:
*a subatomic particle of matter with the opposite linear and angular momentum (which include energy and spin) of another particle that has a linear and angular momentum (e.g., a photon);
*a subatomic particle of matter with the opposite magnetic moment of a particle that has a magnetic moment (e.g., a neutron);
*a subatomic particle of matter with the opposite baryon number of a particle.
So each of the types of antimatter in the body of the article either is known today and is consistent with Star Trek, or has been seen in Star Trek and is unknown to or different from 21st century science. For example, today we would say that because it just has mass and directional velocity the anti-particle of a photon is itself, yet in the can produce anti-photons from the deflector dish; a different thing in the episode than a regular photon. Also, the anti-particle of an electron is called a positron these days; by the 24th century it seems to mean something else, hence the alternative term "antielectron".
== References ==
Matter/antimatter engines, containment fields, and the like are in far too many episodes to enumerate. Pertinent references for this article, however, are:
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== See also ==
* antideuterium
* antimatter containment
* antimatter injector
* antimatter pod
* antimatter radiation
* antimatter reactor
* antimatter relay
* antimatter stream
* antimatter tank
* antimatter waste
* antimatter weapons:
** antimatter mine
** antimatter spread
** antimatter warhead
** photon torpedo
* matter-antimatter reaction assembly (warp core)
* Programmable antimatter
== External links ==
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Category:Materials
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