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Science and Technology List

Name :  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # All

Name Notes
Tekasite [1] Substance which can be combined with protomatter and trilithium to create a weapon capable of destroying a sun and thus obliterating everything in the accompanying solar system. [1]
Temporal displacement drive [2] Drive system of the time pod which the NX-01 Enterprise discovered in 2152. [2]
Temporal incursion [3] A method of altering the timeline by removing an object from history. The result is to create a timeline in which the object has never existed. Temporal incursions were widely used by the Krenim. [3]
Temporal observatory [4] Device which Daniels used to monitor changes to the timeline. The temporal observatory contained a great deal of information on various aspects of history, including ship designs, which it could project holographically. [4]
Temporal radiation [2] Form of radiation emitted by a temporal displacement drive. Temporal radiation was considered dangerous to Humans, and could cause temporal distortions. [2]
Temporal tags [5] Device which Daniels's people used to bring objects forward in time from the past. [5]
Teraphasic warp coils [6] Element of the warp drive on a Xyrillian ship. [6]
Terraforming [7] Terraforming is the process of altering the surface of a planet to make it more suitable for habitation. The Federation engaged in terraforming efforts during the 24th century, including the effort to terraform Velara III. The process was extremely long, taking decades to accomplish. The Velara III project was abandoned when it was discovered that the planet was inhabited by a life form whose existence was threatened by the changing environment. [8]

The Genesis device could be considered to be an extreme form of terraforming, capable of recreating the surface of a dead planet into a life-bearing form in a matter of hours. [7]
Tetracyanate [9] Toxic byproduct of mining veridium isotopes. [9]
Tetrazine [10] Waste product created by mining processes used by the Paraagans in 2152. Tetrazine could be ingnited by a plasma exhaust and ships which approached a Paraagan mine had to be careful lest a catastrophic explosion result. [10]
Thermobaric clouds [11] Clouds which surrounded the Delphic Expanse. [11]
Theta radiation [12] Type of radiation which Dr. Phlox used to eliminate microbes. High doses caused cellular damage to Vulcans. [12] Theta radiation was used in the manufacture of liquid Trellium-D. [13]
Thracium [14] A chemical substance, known for being used in Tholian demolition explosives. In 2265 an Enterprise landing party was caught up in an explosion when they activated a Tholian booby trap on Ravanar IV which contained thracium. [14]
Time Crystal [15] A Klingon time crystal, which is able to show people a view of their future selves and experiences. Prolonged exposure can enable you to live out the events as if you were taking part in them. [15]
Time dilation [16] A distortion in the flow of time experienced as a result of travelling at high sublight velocities or passing through a high gravitational field. [16]
Time portal [10] Device which Daniels's faction in the temporal cold war used to travel through time. [10]
Time travel [17] Any movement through time at a rate other than normal. Time travel allows one to journey into the past or future, effecting changes in history. Various methods have been employed, including the slingshot and the Guardain of Forever. [17]
Timeship [18] Any vessel which is capable of traveling through time. The Federation will employ timeships in the 29th century. [18]
Tractor beam [19] A system used by Federation starships to pull on or push against other vessels or objects. [19]
Tractor Beams [20] One requirement for all Starfleet vessels is the ability to manipulate objects in space. Typically this will involve towing other vessels or holding sensor probes in place, but modifying the course of asteroids or space debris is also an option.

To accomplish this, Starfleet vessels are equipped with one or more tractor beam emitters. [16]
These employ superimposed subspace/graviton force beams which focuses interference patterns on a remote object. This results in significant spatial stress being imposed on the object; by controlling the focal point and interference patterns of the beam it is possible to use this stress pattern to place either a repelling or attracting force on the object.

Power for the tractor beam emitters is provided by variable phase graviton polarity sources feeding sub-cochrane subspace field amplifiers. Phase accuracy of less than 2.7 arc-seconds per millisecond is required for precise control of a tractor beam. Use of a tractor beam can involve placing significant stress on both emitter and target, and vessels with low structural strength can be damaged by a tractor beam. Because of the potential damage to a vessel using a tractor beam, all Starfleet tractor emitters are attached directly to the skeletal frame, and are protected by the structural integrity field system of the craft. [21]


All Starfleet vessels are equipped with at least one tractor beam emitter, generally placed so it can tow an object which is situated behind and below. Vessels of Runabout size or above are fitted with more than one emitter - large starships having enough to ensure all-round coverage.
Trajector [22] Encountered by Voyager in 2371, the Sikarians are a highly advanced and peaceful people who are legendary in the Delta Quadrant for their generosity and kindness to strangers. Their technology is, in general, in advance of that of the Federation, most especially when it comes to transporters. The Sikarians used a device which they called the trajector, a transporter capable of sending people or objects across distances of 40,000 light years in an instant. The field required to accomplish this is some ten billion times greater than anything Voyager could have generated, requiring a field amplifier literally as large as a planet. Sikaris has a mantle of tetrahedral quartz twenty kilometres thick, whose crystalline structure was used by the Sikarians as an amplifier. [22]

Unfortunately, the Sikarians refused to allow Voyager to use their trajector and although members of the crew purchased the technology from a clandestine group on the planet, the use of the mantle as an amplifier, meant that it was impossible to use the device once they had departed. In addition, the trajector used antineutrinos as a catalyst for the space folding reaction, a technology incompatible with Federation technology. [22]

Voyager was thus unable to use this technology to assist in its return home. No other species has been encountered which has this technology. [22]

In 2399, ex-Admiral Picard discovered that the Sikarians had been assimilated by the Borg and that they had acquired the Trajector technology. Using typical Borg ingenuity, together with the knowledge gained from the assimilated Sikarians, they were able to overcome the need for a tetrahedral quartz mantel of a nearby planet. This allowed the Borg to build a trajector into any Borg Cube. Installed in the Borg Queen's chamber it was used as an emergency escape mechanism, reserved for the sole use of the Queen. With the assistance of Hugh, the ex-Borg, Picard was able to use it to escape with Soji. [23]
Translinear sensors [24] Sensor system which was fitted to the Vulcan vessel Vahklas in 2151. [24]
Translocator [25] A transporting device used by the Nyrians. The translocator was effective across ranges of at least 10 light years, and may be similar to the trajector or subspace transporter. [25]
Transporter [26] A device used by the Federation which is able to dematerialize a person or object, transmit the resultant stream of matter across distances of several tens of thousands of kilometres, and reconstruct them at the other end. Many other lapha quadrant species have similar or equivalent technology, though this capability is rare in the Delta Quadrant. [26]
Transporters [26] The transporter is probably the single greatest revolution in the movement of people and goods in recorded history; invented in 2135, the first transporter cleared for for the transport of biological organisms was installed aboard the NX class starship Enterprise in 2151. Although many crewmembers did not trust the new device, with some justification [27], the transporter eventually became a common feature of 22nd century life.

The basic operating principles of the transporter are relatively simple. It makes a detailed scan of the subject, breaks down its molecular structure, then transmits this beam to another location. The information gained from the scan is then used to reassemble the subject exactly as before.

Like many simple ideas, the actual engineering required to construct a working transporter are quite more complex. A standard transporter unit consists of ten major components :

The Transport Chamber is the area in which the subject is placed for transport. The transport chamber can be of almost any size or shape, though larger chambers have far greater energy requirements and are correspondingly less efficient for general use. Most transport chambers are capable of holding approximately six persons.

The Operators Console is the control unit of the whole system; these consoles are typically manned by a single operator who oversees the transport process and is responsible for reacting to emergency situations, as well as conducting routine maintenance of the transporter systems.

The Transporter Controller is a dedicated computer system which controls the minutiae of the transport process itself.

The Primary Energizing Coils are located directly above the transport chamber. These coils generate the annular confinement beam, creating a space-time matrix within which the dematerializing process occurs. The primary energizing coils also generate a containment field around the subject in order to prevent any possible breach of the annular confinement beam during the transport process. This is important as such disruption can result in a sizeable energy discharge.

The Phase Transition Coils are located in the floor of the transport chamber. It is the phase transition coils that cause the actual dematerialisation/materialisation process. They do this be decoupling the binding energy between the subatomic particles of the subject, causing the atoms themselves to disintegrate.

Molecular Imaging Scanners are located in the roof of the transport chamber. These devices scan the subject to be transported at quantum resolution, determining the location and momentum of every particle within the subject. Bulk cargo can be scanned at the molecular resolution, as it is not generally vital to recreate the object exactly. Living matter requires that exact information be obtained, a process which violates the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This is made possible by the Heisenberg Compensator system, a component of the molecular imaging scanners of all personnel transport systems. All transporters are built with four redundant sets of scanners, allowing any three to override a fourth should it make an error. Should two scanners produce the same error the transport process would be aborted automatically by the transport controller system.

The Pattern Buffer is a large super conducting tokamak device, usually situated directly underneath the transporter unit itself. Once the subject has been dematerialized they are passed into the pattern buffer and held in suspension while the system compensates for relative motion between itself and the target location. Pattern buffers can be shared by several different transport systems, although only one transporter can use a given buffer at a time. Should an emergency arise during transport a pattern can be held suspended in a transport buffer without being either sent or dematerialized; however, after a few minutes such a pattern will begin to degrade to the point at which the subject will be unrecoverable.

The Biofilter is an image processing device which analyses the data from the molecular imaging scanner in order to locate any potentially damaging organisms which may have infected the subject. The biofilter is not generally a part of civilian transporter systems, though it is mandatory on all Starfleet transporters.

The Emitter Pad Array is mounted on the exterior of the transport system itself - in the case of a spacecraft, on the hull of the ship. The array transmits the actual matter stream to or from the destination. Components of the emitter array include the phase transition matrix and primary energizing coils. Some transporter systems also contain clusters of long range molecular imaging scanners within the emitter pad; this allows the system to lock onto targets at long range to beam them from remote locations without outside assistance. Most transporter systems do not include long range molecular scanners; such transporters can only beam to and from other other systems.

Targeting Scanners are a set of redundant sensors which are responsible for determining the exact location of the destination in relation to the transporter unit. Targeting scanners also determine the environmental conditions at the target site. Although dedicated targeting scanners should ideally be a component of any transport process, in practice any sensor device of sufficient range and accuracy can provide the required information so long as it is compatible with the transporter controller information protocols. In addition, if transport is being conducted between systems with a fixed relative position - planetary transporter units, for example - targeting information can be disregarded.

The precise operation of a transporter naturally depends on the level of system specifications. Starfleet transporters are generally reckoned to be the most advanced in the Federation, since they are required to perform a wider range of tasks over much more variable conditions than civilian models. A typical operations for Starfleet transporters include the following :

Beam up involves using the emitter array as the primary energizing coil in order to beam a subject from a remote location which does not have a transporter system.

Site-to-site transport involves following the conventional beam up process until the subject is in the pattern buffer; the subject is then shunted to a second pattern buffer and on to another emitter array before being beamed out to a new location. This process essentially merges two transport processes in order to allow a subject to be beamed from one location to another without having to rematerialise on board ship first. This process is avoided if possible since it requires double the energy expenditure and system resources to accomplish each transport.

Hold in pattern buffer. As described, the pattern buffer can be used to hold a subject essentially is stasis. Normally these patterns will degrade after just a few minutes at most, though on one occasion a specially modified transporter held a subject intact for seventy five years.

Dispersal. Although transporter systems are designed to beam a subject to or from a destination intact, it is possible to override the safety systems on a standard Starfleet transporter and cause it to deliberately disperse the subject over a wide area. This is done by disengaging the annular confinement beam during rematerialization, depriving the subject of a proper reference matrix to form against. Such a measure may be used in order to neutralize a dangerous payload such as a bomb or other weapon; the measure is frequently complemented by materializing the subject in space.

Near warp transport is achieved by careful shifting of the ACB frequency. This can be an uncomfortable experience for those who go through it, and on occasion can even be dangerous.

Warp transport can be achieved by the same method as near warp transport; this is only effective if the origin and destination are moving at the same warp speed. Transport between locations moving with different warp speeds result in a catastrophic loss of pattern integrity - this is fatal to living organisms. [28]


By the end of the 24th century, transporter technology had advanced to the point that transporter pads had been replaced by gates, at least for intraplanetary trips. [29] You register your required destination in advance and simply walk through any available gate on the planet. You are automatically recognised, dematerialised and rematerialised at the gate closest to your required destination, without even breaking your stride. The system is completely automated and no operators are required. [29] You can setup your entire itinerary for the day and the system will take care of the rest. Gates have a large throughput with a single gate being able to transport a new person once every second. Gates are also able to operate in multiple directions, with people entering from either side of the gate. [29] Gates are often found in groups in more popular destinations. [29]
Transtator [30] An element of virtually all Federation technology in the mid 23rd century. [30]
Transtator assembly [31] System which was aboard an NX class starship. Replacing a transtator assembly took the crew about a week. [31]
Transwarp [32] Basic warp propulsion systems have been in use with the major alpha quadrant powers now for over three centuries. Warp technology has been tremendously successful, and there remains much potential for development in warp drive systems. Nevertheless, as early as 2275 scientists working at the Daystrom Institute proposed that standard warp physics was in fact only a small part of a much larger puzzle. This technology, dubbed "transwarp", quickly attracted the attention of Starfleet. A huge engineering project was begun with the aim of developing a starship capable of transwarp speeds. This new "Excelsior" class was also to incorporate the very latest computers, sensors, and weapons systems - it would, quite simply, be by far the most sophisticated vessel in known space.

Unfortunately, while the Excelsior's non propulsion systems where a success, the transwarp project itself proved to be over-ambitious. Launched in 2285, it was only a deliberate act of sabotage by the Chief Engineer which prevented a catastrophic nacelle implosion on the first flight. Despite years of further work on the engines, the Excelsior was branded a failure - never made a successful test flight, and never having broke the transwarp barrier. Starfleet abandoned the Excelsior transwarp project altogether in 2287 and refitted the ship with a standard warp drive.

This was not the end for Federation transwarp technology, however. In 2372 the crew of the USS Voyager succeeded in conducting two brief shuttlecraft flights at warp 10 - actually straddling the warp barrier itself, and achieving infinite speed! However, several significant problems remain with this approach; Voyager crew members who conducted the flight experienced severe health problems, including genetic abnormalities. [33] Voyager relayed some details of this flight back to Starfleet in 2373 via an alien subspace communications array; experts analysing the technology have indicated that the difficulties experienced by Voyager are in fact only the tip of the iceberg. As well as the guaranteed genetic damage, the subspace fields associated with this form of transwarp drive results in an 85% chance of fatality per flight. Significant problems also remain with navigating a vessel using this form of drive system, and as a result even unmanned probes have proved to be unusable.

Alien Technologiy

Although many regarded transwarp drive as an impossibility, recent experience has shown that transwarp is indeed possible. In 2364 the USS Enterprise made several short transwarp flights with the assistance of an alien being known as "The Traveller". [32] In 2369 the Borg invaded Federation space for the third time, under the command of the android Lore. This time the Borg used a transwarp vessel capable of generating conduits within which an object could travel at incredible speeds - the USS Enterprise accessed one of these conduits and made a short trip at an average of some 236,000,000 times light speed. This vessel, which is thought to have been an advanced prototype, was later destroyed by the Enterprise. [34]

The crew of the USS Voyager, who had tested their own transwarp drive in 2372 [33], encountered a transwarp-capable species known as the Voth while journeying in the Delta Quadrant. A typical Voth ship was capable of very high speeds using their transwarp drives. [35]

Voyager has subsequently encountered the Borg, and has confirmed that a form of transwarp utilising conduits is in widespread use by this species. [36] The Borg maintain six transwarp hubs, each of which maintains a network of many conduits spreading throughout the galaxy. Vessels entering this network can cross the galaxy in a matter of minutes at speeds in equivalent to more than a billion times that of light. In 2377 Voyager managed to destroy one of these hubs, disabling Borg activity across a huge section of the galaxy. [37]

Borg vessels also use transwarp coils to generate conduits. [36]

Theory

When Professor Terrance and Doctor Neltorr proposed their "TNG scale", they had shown that a graph of the power required to propel any object at warp speeds would show certain minima which matched integer warp factors. On the TNG scale the velocity of an object - under ideal conditions - would be given by raising the warp factor it was travelling at to the power of 10/3, up to warp factor nine. Beyond warp nine the exponent increased gradually, then sharply as warp 10 was neared. At warp 10 itself the exponent became infinite [38] - an object reaching warp 10 would achieve infinite speed, passing through every point in the universe simultaneously. [33] Standard warp drives required infinite power to achieve warp 10 - naturally this seemed an impossible task. Scientists of the day where quite confident in proclaiming Warp 10 as the ultimate impassable barrier.

In 2269, scientists working for the Daystrom Institute took the theoretical models of subspace created by Terrance and Neltorr one step further. It was realized that the mathematics allowed for a second subspace region stretching from the warp 10 barrier up to another, similar barrier at warp 20 - a region which a public relations officer in the Daystrom Institute press office dubbed the "transwarp domain", a name which has stuck despite its inaccuracy.

In 2270 it was realized that even this theoretical transwarp domain was only part of the whole structure. The theory allowed for an infinite number of such domains, each separated by a warp barrier. Throughout the early 2270's there was a huge effort to discover whether these transwarp domains where just theoretical constructs, or if they actually existed. In 2273 the Starfleet science vessel USSWanderer conducted a subspace particle dissipation experiment which proved conclusively that not only did transwarp domains actually exist, but that under certain circumstances it was possible for matter to circumvent the warp barrier and pass into the transwarp domain.

Theoretical and practical studies quickly established that at a point infinitesimally past Warp 10, the warp factor exponent fell from infinity to zero and then began to gradually rise again. By Warp 11 the exponent reached 13/3, after which it mirrors the behaviour of the normal warp curve. A Warp 19 the exponent begins to climb, again reaching infinity at warp 20 to form the next warp barrier. The whole process is repeated again in the second transwarp domain, and again in the third, and so on. In each domain the "steady" central value of the exponent increases linearly - from 10/3 in the warp domain to 13/3 in the first transwarp domain, 16/3 in the second, then 19/3, 22/3, and so on.

The speeds of warp factors within the warp domain and the first two transwarp domains can be seen on following chart.

Warp Speed

Speed

Warp Factor


Warp
Factor
Equals
(xc)
Time to travel
To nearby star
(5 ly)
Across Sector
(20 ly)
Across Federation
(8,000 ly)
To Andromeda
(2 million ly)
1132,5611.3 hours5.4 hours89.7 days61.4 years
1247,47455.4 mins3.7 hours61.6 days42.1 years
1367,15639.2 mins2.6 hours43.5 days29.8 years
1492,58828.4 mins1.9 hours31.6 days21.6 years
15124,85221.1 mins1.4 hours23.4 days16.0 years
16165,14015.9 mins1.1 hours17.7 days12.1 years
17214,75612.2 mins49.0 mins13.6 days9.3 years
18275,1159.6 mins38.2 mins10.6 days7.3 years
19347,7497.6 mins30.2 mins8.4 days5.8 years
20InfiniteAn object at warp 20 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously
2111,267,72514.0 secs56.0 secs6.2 hours64.8 days
2214,440,68010.9 secs43.7 secs4.9 hours50.6 days
2318,304,1038.6 secs34.5 secs3.8 hours39.9 days
2422,968,1826.9 secs27.5 secs3.1 hours31.8 days
2528,554,8615.5 secs22.1 secs2.5 hours25.6 days
2635,198,5304.5 secs17.9 secs2.0 hours20.8 days
2743,046,7213.7 secs14.7 secs1.6 hours17.0 days
2852,260,8143.0 secs12.1 secs1.3 hours14.0 days
2963,016,7482.5 secs10.0 secs1.1 hours11.6 days
30InfiniteAn object at warp 30 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously
312.79 x 10956.6 msec226.4 msec1.5 mins6.3 hours
323.41 x 10946.3 msec185.1 msec1.2 mins5.1 hours
334.14 x 10938.1 msec152.4 msec1.0 mins4.2 hours
345.00 x 10931.5 msec126.1 msec50.4 secs3.5 hours
356.01 x 10926.2 msec105.0 msec42.0 secs2.9 hours
367.19 x 10922.0 msec87.8 msec35.1 secs2.4 hours
378.55 x 10918.5 msec73.8 msec29.5 secs2.1 hours
381.01 x 101015.6 msec62.4 msec24.9 secs1.7 hours
391.19 x 101013.2 msec52.9 msec21.2 secs1.5 hours
40InfiniteAn object at warp 40 travels at infinite speed, occupying all points in the universe simultaneously


The power required to hold a given warp factor is generally given in Megajoules per Cochrane per second. Within the warp domain the power requirements follow a saw-toothed curve, rising towards infinity at warp 10. Once into the first transwarp domain the basic shape of this curve repeats itself, although it is shifted upwards relative to the first by the higher energy requirements involved in transwarp drive. In general, transwarp factors require much higher engine power to maintain than the equivalent warp factor - for example holding Warp 13 requires 50,000 times as much power as holding Warp 3 does. But in terms of the power required to hold a specific speed, transwarp is far more efficient. The power needed to hold Warp 13 with a transwarp drive could maintain Warp 9.82 with standard warp drive, but while Warp 9.82 equates to 2,530 times light speed, Warp 13 is 67,156 times light speed - an increase in speed of almost 2654%. The following chart shows the total power which would be needed for a galaxy class starship to maintain a given warp or transwarp factor.

Total Power

Total Power

Warp Factor



Today a workable, practical transwarp drive remains beyond the reach of Federation science and although some efforts to develop this technology are still being made, no progress has yet been achieved. [35]
Trellium-A [13] Substance which is extremely common and easy to synthesize, but it is not very useful. [13]
Trellium-D [39] Substance used for insulation in Starship hulls in the 2150s. [40] Trellium-D would protect a ship from the spatial anomalies to be found in the Delphic Expanse. [41] It could be synthesised, but this was a very difficult process. [13] Trellium-D is a potent neurotoxin to the Vulcan nervous system - exposure to significant quantities of it induces paranoia and violent, unthinking rage towards others. [42]
Triburnium alloys [43] Type of metal used by the Enolians in 2152. They could be depolarised by subdermal implants, making them easy to break. [43]
Tricellite [44] A material which could be used to make contacts of the kind employed by spacecraft guidance systems. Tricellite was considered to be considerably more durable than Zelebium for this purpose. In 2365 Chief Engineer La Forge replaced the fused Zelebium contacts in the guidance system on Captain Okona's cargo ship with Tricellite. He expected the repair to outlast the entire ship. [44]

Tricellite was not available within the Omega Sagitta system. [44]
Triceron [14] A chemical known to be a component of Tholian-made demolition explosives. In 2265 an Enterprise landing party was caught up in an explosion when they activated a Tholian booby trap on Ravanar IV which contained triceron. [14]
Tricorders [17] The Starfleet Tricorder is a multi-purpose tool designed to be carried by personnel either whilst aboard ship or on away missions. The basic functions of a tricorder involve collecting data via a variety of sensors, analysing and processing the data via a compact onboard computer system, and presenting it to the user via a visual display and/or auditory cue. But this is barely the start of the capabilities of this amazing device.

The sensor capabilities of a tricorder are awesome. From scanning a planetary core from the surface at one extreme [45]down to checking a room for listening devices at the other [46], tricorders can do an amazing variety of things. They can record visual information, [47], detect neutrino emissions [48], determine the structural stability of caves [48], scan electronic systems to determine their functions [5], download or upload information to computer systems, bypassing normal access methods to read and alter memory or storage directly from the tricorder [49], analyse and if necessary disrupt powerful electromagnetic field effects [50], scan for lifeforms [51] and if necessary emit false lifeforms based on an analysis of DNA traces [52], they can determine how people have moved in an enclosed location by analysing molecular displacement traces even many hours afterwards [53], or even detect the thermal traces left by a person sitting down hours before and estimate the species from this data! [34] Medical tricorders can scan a person at a distance and collect detailed physiological data, including all of their vital signs [54]

In a more active role, tricorders can disrupt certain types of forcefield barrier [55], project holograms [56], or act as a distress beacon [57] They can even be networked together to combine the processing power of their systems, allowing them to be used to control systems such as transporters. [58]

Over the years Starfleet has used many different models of tricorder; the standard model in use during the mid 2360s was the TR-580. This unit measured 8.5 x 12 x 3 cm and had a mass of 353 grams. The two-part case was constructed of duranium foam, which was resistant to a wide range of environmental conditions. When opened the TR-580 presented a 2.4 x 3.6 cm display screen and a set of twenty four control buttons - the use of a full touch-sensitive screen was avoided to improve ease of use under potentially difficult field situations.

Power was provided through a sarium crystal similar to those used in standard phasers, and was rated as sufficient for eighteen hours of continuous use of all sensor systems. Such levels of use are unlikely within the field, and in fact the average power consumption of a TR-580 was found to be slightly over 15 Watts.

Within the TR-580 were sensor assemblies which covered a total of 235 mechanical, electromagnetic and subspace devices. Of these, 115 were located in the directional sensor cluster at the top of the device, with the remaining 120 scattered throughout the body for all-around coverage. The unit was fitted with a detachable handheld scanner unit which contained 17 high resolution devices for detailed readings. The tricorder could combine input from any or all of these sensors in order to give the most complete possible image of the object being scanned.

Data processing on a TR-580 was provided by a distributed network of 27 Polled Main Computer Segments (PCMS) which co-ordinated all tricorder functions. Together these segments were capable of 150 GFP calculations per second; multiple functions can be run simultaneously, limited only by processing speed. Communications with other tricorders and compatible systems were carried out via a subspace transceiver assembly. Transmission rates were somewhat variable, but achieved a maximum in Emergency Dump mode of 825 TFP. Communications range was limited to 40,000 km - similar to the standard comm badge.

Data storage was provided by 14 wafers of nickel carbonitrium crystal and three isolinear chips; the former totalled 0.73 kiloquads, the latter 2.06 kiloquads each for a total of 6.91 kiloquads. The swappable library crystal chips were each formatted to hold 4.5 kiloquads. [59]


The TR-590 replaced the 580 in the 2370s. This model was somewhat smaller at 7.62 x 15.81 x 2.84 cm and massed 298.3 grams. Part of the reduced mass was been achieved through switching to a polyduranide casing, although this is slightly less resistant to adverse environmental conditions than the duranium casing of the 580. Within the tricorder the layout of buttons and display device was retained, allowing this model to be issued without any changeover training.

The typical power usage was 16.4 watts, a 6% increase over the TR-580; nevertheless, an uprated power cell increased total endurance with all systems active by 100%. The available sensor units were also increased to 315, of which 189 were located in the directional sensor cluster. The detachable high resolution hand unit was been eliminated from the TR-590, the resolution of the onboard sensors having increased sufficiently to make the unit obsolete.

Processing speed was increased to 275 GFP calculations per second, an 83% increase. Total memory was increased by 32% to 9.12 kiloquads. [60]


By the late 2370s Starfleet had moved on to a new generation of tricorder. The majority of the buttons were eliminated in favour of touch-screen controls [61], developments in touch screen technology having made them robust enough to deal with field conditions. The new unit had no less than 500 sensor units, all of them of a new generation of high-resolution devices. Processing speed reached 500 GFP calculations per second, while total memory increased to 25 kiloquads. The sensor and processing power of the unit was so improved that Starfleet considered this an "all purpose" tricorder, and did not produce a medical version as had been standard practice previously.
Tricyclic plasma drive [27] Drive system used by Suliban ships. [27]
Trilithium [62] Substance which can act as a fusion inhibitor. In theory a quantity of trilithium is capable of stopping all nuclear fusion in a star, producing a shockwave which will then destroy the entire associated solar system - this formed the basis of Dr. Soran's star-destroying weapon [62] and the Dominion device intended for use against the Bajoran sun in 2373. [1] Trilithium is apparently somewhat different from trilithium resin [62], which is a highly unstable and explosive substance produced as a waste product in the warp core of a Galaxy class starship. [63] Trilithium can also form the basis of a more conventional explosive - the Akritirian terrorist group called Open Sky used such a bomb to destroy the Laktivia recreational facility in 2373. The Trilithium was produced from paralithium obtained from an Akritirian vessel. [64]
Trilithium resin [63] Trilithium resin is produced as a waste product by the warp core of some Federation starships, including the Galaxy class. It is highly unstable, and prone to catastrophic explosions if not carefully handled. [63]( Defiant class Starships also produce the resin. Four hundred kilos of this substance scattered into the atmosphere of an M class planet is sufficient to make it uninhabitable to all human life for 50 years.#Ref5111}
Trillium 323 [65] Substance which is found in abundance on Caldonia. Supplies of Trillium 323 were part of the Caldonian bid for control of the Barzan wormhole. [65]
Trimagnesite [66] A substance which, when combined with tritium and ignited, produces an exceptionally bright visible light. [66]
Trinesium [67] Metal used by the Vissians in the construction of their ships from the mid 21st century onwards. Trinesium can withstand temperatures of up to 18,000 degrees. [67]
Tritanium [68] A metallic mineral ore found in nature. Pure tritanium was 21.4 times as hard as diamond. Phasers were able to split Tritanium [68], though melting the metal was beyond the capability of Federation technology even in 2364. [69] In 2369 Dr Bashir discovered Tritanium alloy fragments in the chest and upper arms of Hon-Tihl, the deceased first officer of the Klingon vessel IKS Toh'Kaht. [70]

Tritanium was widely used in ship construction. Earth Starfleet used it in the mid 22nd century, with the hull of the NX class being partially composed of tritanium alloy plating. [31] The internal walls of the Galaxy class were composed of tritanium [71], as were elements of the Intrepid class starship [72], Raven class science vessel [73], the cargo ship Earstwhile [44], Axanar cargo ships [74], the hulls of Federation Type 6 [75] and Type 9 shuttles [33], and Borg cubes. [36]

Tritanium had many other applications. It was used as armour plating on assault skimmers [76] and the detonators of the weapons encountered by Voyager in 2377. [77] Tritanium was used in composite form in the construction of Federation EJ7 interlocks in use in 2369. By this time, technology had advanced to the point where it was possible to melt Tritanium, at least in the composite form. [78]

The projectile fired from a TR-116 rifle was made of tritanium. [79]
Tritanium Cobalt [80] Substance; the NX-01 carried about 18 kilos of tritanium cobalt. [80]
Tritium [66] A substance which, when combined with trimagnesite and ignited, produces an exceptionally bright visible light. [66]
Turbolift [26] A system used for transportation within a Starship. A turbolift comprises of network of tunnels through which small cars travel. It is essentially a version of the present day elevator but capable of moving sideways as well as up or down. [26]

Name :  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # All

Colour key

Canon source Backstage source Novel source DITL speculation

References

# Series Season Source Comment
1 DS9 5 By Inferno's Light
2 ENT 2 Future Tense
3 VOY 4 Year of Hell, Part 1
4 ENT 1 Cold Front
5 ENT 3 Carpenter Street
6 ENT 1 Unexpected
7 Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan
8 TNG 1 Home Soil
9 ENT 1 Civilization
10 ENT 1 Shockwave, Part 1
11 ENT 2 The Expanse
12 ENT 2 Bounty
13 ENT 3 Rajiin
14 Star Trek : Vanguard, Book 1 - Harbinger
15 SNW 1 A Quality of Mercy
16 Generic canonical information
17 TOS 1 The Naked Time
18 VOY 3 Future's End, Part 1
19 TOS 1 The Corbomite Maneuver
20 TOS 1 Tomorrow is Yesterday
21 Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual Page 89-90
22 VOY 1 Prime Factors
23 STP 1 The Impossible Box
24 ENT 1 Fusion
25 VOY 3 Displaced
26 TOS 1 Where No Man Has Gone Before
27 ENT 1 Broken Bow
28 Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual Page 102-108
29 STP 1 Maps and Legends
30 TOS 2 A Piece of the Action
31 ENT 2 Dead Stop
32 TNG 1 Where No One Has Gone Before
33 VOY 2 Threshold
34 TNG 7 Descent, Part 2
35 VOY 3 Distant Origin
36 VOY 5 Dark Frontier, Part 1
37 VOY 7 Endgame, Part 2
38 Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual Page 54-55
39 Various Enterprise episodes
40 ENT 3 The Xindi
41 ENT 3 Anomaly
42 ENT 3 Impulse
43 ENT 2 Canamar
44 TNG 2 The Outrageous Okona
45 Star Trek III : The Search for Spock
46 TNG 1 Angel One
47 TOS 1 The City on the Edge of Forever
48 Star Trek : Insurrection
49 VOY 3 Future's End, Part 2
50 TNG 4 Final Mission
51 TNG 2 Contagion
52 DS9 4 The Sword of Kahless
53 TNG 5 Ensign Ro
54 TNG 6 True-Q
55 TNG 7 Attached
56 TNG 6 The Chase
57 TOS 3 That Which Survives
58 TNG 4 Brothers
59 Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual Page 119 - 121
60 Star Trek Deep Space Nine Technical Manual Page 78 - 79
61 Star Trek : Nemesis
62 Star Trek : Generations
63 TNG 6 Starship Mine
64 VOY 3 The Chute
65 TNG 3 The Price
66 TOS 1 Operation: Annihilate!
67 ENT 2 Cogenitor
68 TOS 2 Obsession
69 TNG 1 The Arsenal of Freedom
70 DS9 1 Dramatis Personae
71 TNG 2 Where Silence Has Lease
72 VOY 4 Year of Hell, Part 2
73 VOY 4 The Raven
74 ENT 1 Fight or Flight
75 TNG 6 Rascals
76 DS9 5 Business as Usual
77 VOY 7 Human Error
78 DS9 1 In the Hands of the Prophets
79 DS9 7 Field of Fire
80 ENT 4 Borderland
Series : DS9 Season 5
Episode : By Inferno's Light
Series : ENT Season 2
Episode : Future Tense
Series : VOY Season 4
Episode : Year of Hell, Part 1
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Cold Front
Series : ENT Season 3
Episode : Carpenter Street
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Unexpected
Film: Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan
Series : TNG Season 1
Episode : Home Soil
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Civilization
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Shockwave, Part 1
Series : ENT Season 2
Episode : The Expanse
Series : ENT Season 2
Episode : Bounty
Series : ENT Season 3
Episode : Rajiin
Novel : Star Trek : Vanguard, Book 1 - Harbinger
Series : SNW Season 1
Episode : A Quality of Mercy
Source : Generic canonical information
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : The Naked Time
Series : VOY Season 3
Episode : Future's End, Part 1
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : The Corbomite Maneuver
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : Tomorrow is Yesterday
Book : Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual
Comment : Page 89-90
Series : VOY Season 1
Episode : Prime Factors
Series : STP Season 1
Episode : The Impossible Box
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Fusion
Series : VOY Season 3
Episode : Displaced
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : Where No Man Has Gone Before
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Broken Bow
Book : Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual
Comment : Page 102-108
Series : STP Season 1
Episode : Maps and Legends
Series : TOS Season 2
Episode : A Piece of the Action
Series : ENT Season 2
Episode : Dead Stop
Series : TNG Season 1
Episode : Where No One Has Gone Before
Series : VOY Season 2
Episode : Threshold
Series : TNG Season 7
Episode : Descent, Part 2
Series : VOY Season 3
Episode : Distant Origin
Series : VOY Season 5
Episode : Dark Frontier, Part 1
Series : VOY Season 7
Episode : Endgame, Part 2
Book : Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual
Comment : Page 54-55
Series : ENT Season
Episode : Various Enterprise episodes
Series : ENT Season 3
Episode : The Xindi
Series : ENT Season 3
Episode : Anomaly
Series : ENT Season 3
Episode : Impulse
Series : ENT Season 2
Episode : Canamar
Series : TNG Season 2
Episode : The Outrageous Okona
Film: Star Trek III : The Search for Spock
Series : TNG Season 1
Episode : Angel One
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : The City on the Edge of Forever
Film: Star Trek : Insurrection
Series : VOY Season 3
Episode : Future's End, Part 2
Series : TNG Season 4
Episode : Final Mission
Series : TNG Season 2
Episode : Contagion
Series : DS9 Season 4
Episode : The Sword of Kahless
Series : TNG Season 5
Episode : Ensign Ro
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : True-Q
Series : TNG Season 7
Episode : Attached
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : The Chase
Series : TOS Season 3
Episode : That Which Survives
Series : TNG Season 4
Episode : Brothers
Book : Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual
Comment : Page 119 - 121
Book : Star Trek Deep Space Nine Technical Manual
Comment : Page 78 - 79
Film: Star Trek : Nemesis
Film: Star Trek : Generations
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : Starship Mine
Series : VOY Season 3
Episode : The Chute
Series : TNG Season 3
Episode : The Price
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : Operation: Annihilate!
Series : ENT Season 2
Episode : Cogenitor
Series : TOS Season 2
Episode : Obsession
Series : TNG Season 1
Episode : The Arsenal of Freedom
Series : DS9 Season 1
Episode : Dramatis Personae
Series : TNG Season 2
Episode : Where Silence Has Lease
Series : VOY Season 4
Episode : Year of Hell, Part 2
Series : VOY Season 4
Episode : The Raven
Series : ENT Season 1
Episode : Fight or Flight
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : Rascals
Series : DS9 Season 5
Episode : Business as Usual
Series : VOY Season 7
Episode : Human Error
Series : DS9 Season 1
Episode : In the Hands of the Prophets
Series : DS9 Season 7
Episode : Field of Fire
Series : ENT Season 4
Episode : Borderland


© Graham & Ian Kennedy Page views : 1,512,200 Last updated : 19 Mar 2024