Dilithium Crystals -- What's the Point?
- Thread starter CuttingEdge100
- Start date
It has something to do with the crystalline structutre.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual says this about The Role of Dilithium: "The key element in the efficient use of M/A reactions is the dilithium crystal. This is the only material known to Federation science to be nonreactive with antimatter when subjected to a high-frequency EM field in the megawatt range, rendering it "porous" to antihydrogen. Dilithium permits the antihydrogen to pass directly through it's crystaline structure without actually touching it, owing to the field dynamo effect created in the added iron atoms. The longer form of the crystal name is the forced-matrix formula 2<5>6 dilithium 2<:>1 diallosilicate 1:9:1 heptoferranide. This highly complex atomic structure is based on simpler forms discovered in naturally occuring geological layers of certain planetary systems..."
Then it goes into how it was irreproducible by replicators and the like. I don't understand the whole thing there, especially the formula, but I thought most of it was informational.
Then it goes into how it was irreproducible by replicators and the like. I don't understand the whole thing there, especially the formula, but I thought most of it was informational.
Here's something I came across that might be helpful?
http://www.sanescience.org/AntiMatter.html
...the important gist of it all was this, under the appendix: "production and storage of antiprotons" at the bottom of the page...
"The most appealing approach would be to store the antiprotons in ordinary matter. In fact, if all antimatter particles have a tendency to spontaneously annihilate when coming into contact with matter (be it the effects of electromagnetic attraction in the case of positrons and antiprotons, or van der Waals forces for antihydrogen), the existence of metastable states of antiprotons in condensed matter can not be ruled out a priori [F]. For example, if a very low energy antihydrogen atom is diffused into a solid, it moves about until its positron annihilates with an electron. The antiproton may then take the place of this electron, and under some conditions, remain confined at certain points within the crystalline structure. At present the kind of substance to be used isn't known, but an enormous variety of chemical compounds and crystal types are available for the search of an optimum material."
Sounds close to what the TNG tech manual had in mind, doesn't it? If Dilithium can store as well as focus antimatter, then perhaps we have an explanation for how and why it could function as a battery or capacitor (at least in TOS)?
As for what Dilithium actually is, here are some definitions to consider...
An Allotrope?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropy
An Isomer?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isomer
Anywho, this gives us some great techno-bable to conceive a plausable substance that has some real world connections?
http://www.sanescience.org/AntiMatter.html
...the important gist of it all was this, under the appendix: "production and storage of antiprotons" at the bottom of the page...
"The most appealing approach would be to store the antiprotons in ordinary matter. In fact, if all antimatter particles have a tendency to spontaneously annihilate when coming into contact with matter (be it the effects of electromagnetic attraction in the case of positrons and antiprotons, or van der Waals forces for antihydrogen), the existence of metastable states of antiprotons in condensed matter can not be ruled out a priori [F]. For example, if a very low energy antihydrogen atom is diffused into a solid, it moves about until its positron annihilates with an electron. The antiproton may then take the place of this electron, and under some conditions, remain confined at certain points within the crystalline structure. At present the kind of substance to be used isn't known, but an enormous variety of chemical compounds and crystal types are available for the search of an optimum material."
Sounds close to what the TNG tech manual had in mind, doesn't it? If Dilithium can store as well as focus antimatter, then perhaps we have an explanation for how and why it could function as a battery or capacitor (at least in TOS)?
As for what Dilithium actually is, here are some definitions to consider...
An Allotrope?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropy
An Isomer?: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isomer
Anywho, this gives us some great techno-bable to conceive a plausable substance that has some real world connections?
It basically says that when a powerful magnetic field is applied to the crystal then antimatter can pass through the latticework structure in some kind of controlled fashion. How this is preferable or even efficient is beyond me (especially when taking the odd illustration in the book into account).
An interesting storage technique; no magnetic containment system to worry about. I don't know how useful this could be in the Trekverse, but it still seems to be hypothetical at this point.
This is the point where we leave hard science fiction behind and enter the realm of "just go with it, kids, the story isn't about the goddamn dilithium crystals..."
Salad Shooter
Lieutenant Junior Grade
They are there as a plot point, a story-telling device and an hook for building an episode.
The ship needs *technobabble* to make it's engines *technobabble* so when they burn out the crew is forced to find a solution.
Then you can build stories about needing to control the strategic reserves, and build a story with a moral off of that.
They add that extra level of complications in a time travel situation, not only do you have a bunch of double-dumbasses running around 20th Century Earth you have a problem with your engine as well.
Later on as the world changes and the types of stories you want to tell change, you put in a line about "oh yeah we can regenerate them on the fly now so we really don't worry about 'em anymore."
The rest is pure techno-wank and adds very little to the storytelling overall. I like me some crunchy detail same as the next guy but really... do we need to spend an entire thread postulating how a pretend crystal may or may not work BASED ON A HYPOTHETICAL IDEA IN A SCIENCE RAG?
Come on, give it a break for awhile and just go with the "plot device/Macguffin" concept.
The ship needs *technobabble* to make it's engines *technobabble* so when they burn out the crew is forced to find a solution.
Then you can build stories about needing to control the strategic reserves, and build a story with a moral off of that.
They add that extra level of complications in a time travel situation, not only do you have a bunch of double-dumbasses running around 20th Century Earth you have a problem with your engine as well.
Later on as the world changes and the types of stories you want to tell change, you put in a line about "oh yeah we can regenerate them on the fly now so we really don't worry about 'em anymore."
The rest is pure techno-wank and adds very little to the storytelling overall. I like me some crunchy detail same as the next guy but really... do we need to spend an entire thread postulating how a pretend crystal may or may not work BASED ON A HYPOTHETICAL IDEA IN A SCIENCE RAG?
Come on, give it a break for awhile and just go with the "plot device/Macguffin" concept.
These kinds of comments always irk me and leave me a little confused/bemused.
What's the point of having a "trek tech" discussion forum in the first place if a trek tech point is viewed as only a techno-babble/plot device/Macguffin, and not worthy of discussion?
Can't some things be discussed for their own sake, just for sheer intellectual curiosity of it? That is, after all, what these forums are ultimatly for!
And if you're not careful, you might just learn a thing or two about the real world along the way? And ultimatly, that is a worhwhile outcome.
But the most worthwhile thing one can learn from trek is IDIC and respect for others and their interest/opinions! If we can't learn that much, at least, then (all) trek is truly a waste of time.
This topic has been dormant for awhile, and it's not like it's being shoved in anyone's face, so to speak, so where's the "Let's piss in their cornflakes and show em how "less geeky than thou" we are" attitude coming from?
For me, it's the unwarrented (and arrogant) assumption that the rest of us need to be reminded of the obvious fact that trek "is just a show" or "this is just a plot device" etc. that gets old, not the discussing of the minutea of trek tech.
In short,
Those who are not interested in the discussion do not need to participate, no one is twisting your arm.
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Salad Shooter
Lieutenant Junior Grade
TIN MAN, I love the discussion that's why I joined up. I used to be active on another Trek Forum that closed down recently... Great bunch of people, lively chats... but man alive they got bogged down int the tiny minute details! 
Of course by all means this is way better than "wait that's not what X said in Y episode and it contradicts the tech manual so it's non-canon." You can shove the canon where there is no cellphone signal as far as I'm concerned.
Of course by all means this is way better than "wait that's not what X said in Y episode and it contradicts the tech manual so it's non-canon." You can shove the canon where there is no cellphone signal as far as I'm concerned.
Salad Shooter
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Salad Shooter
Lieutenant Junior Grade
I AM KIDDING
Now back to me telling you why your opinion is wrong and why you are going to hell for even thinking it.
Now back to me telling you why your opinion is wrong and why you are going to hell for even thinking it.
Gotta work that into the Concordance somewhere...
If taken information from the different series then the TOS dilithium crystals acted as big capacitors/batteries and were the primary source of power for the ship. That all got changed in TNG and dilithium became the regulator of Matter-Antimatter reaction.
So in TNG, no dilithium = no M-AM reaction while in TOS no dilithium = bypassed power coming straight from the M-AM system but at a reduce power.
It could be argued in the TNG->ENT continuity that they never used dilithium crystals as the power source and TOS is off on its own. Or that it was flirted with in TOS but abandoned and they went back to regulating M/AM by TNG.
So in TNG, no dilithium = no M-AM reaction while in TOS no dilithium = bypassed power coming straight from the M-AM system but at a reduce power.
It could be argued in the TNG->ENT continuity that they never used dilithium crystals as the power source and TOS is off on its own. Or that it was flirted with in TOS but abandoned and they went back to regulating M/AM by TNG.
"Elaan of Troyius" made it pretty clear that the dilithium regulated the power flow from the M/ARC, mainly when then irregular shape of the crystals from Elaan's necklace cause the energy flow to be erratic. And as early as "Mudd's Women" it's made clear that the ship's power ran through the crystals, and weren't the source.
Extrapolating a bit further, the thirty minute warm-up period cited in "The Naked Time" could very well include charging time for the crystals (not only do you not mix matter and antimatter cold, you don't run the energy through a discharged crystal).
Extrapolating a bit further, the thirty minute warm-up period cited in "The Naked Time" could very well include charging time for the crystals (not only do you not mix matter and antimatter cold, you don't run the energy through a discharged crystal).
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