Antimatter spreads are a
visually impressive but relatively harmless display rarely
used by Federation starships. They are produced by bypassing
the crystals of the
phaser emitters and routing small amounts of
anti-hydrogen through the plasma distribution manifold.
The result is similar to a fireworks show, causing high energy
electromagnetic interference useful in masking STL sensors for
a limited period of time because of the gamma radiation
released.
The USS Enterprise used an
antimatter spread in order to mask the presence of a
rescue shuttle from the Borg on stardate 44001.4. Although not
completely effective in preventing the Borg from detecting it,
it confused them long enough to allow the rescue mission to
succeed.
Antimatter technology is largely a lost development within
the Galactic Empire. It's use was banned long ago by Old
Republic authorities who thought the substance to be too
destructive and notoriously unstable. Any research into using
it for a possible power source was abandoned in favor of
advanced fusion and hypermatter technologies for many of the
same reasons. |
 |
