How do transphasiac torpedos work?

[The Borg Queen]

How do transphasic torpedos work?

Very well, apparently.

 

[Plecostomus]

Damn it! Who keeps letting these Borg in here! Security! SECURITY!

 

[Praetor]

Romulans seem to get a free pass too. Of course, those Borg would know more about how well transphasics work than a Romulan.

I agree, numbers are meaningless. It's simple enough that the warhead gets through the shields and goes boom with the numbers being so high already.

 

[Manticore]

I think people toss around technobabble numbers so much that they forget what the numbers actually mean. Kirk's Enterprise, in the original series, had torpedoes which had about 18MT yield each. That's the same as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima for every single frackin' torpedo. (Phasers are roughly 2MT yield).

18 MTs actually closer to a thousand times the yield of the bomb that hit Hiroshima (13-18 KT). Which I think just demonstrates your point that much more.

 

[BolianAuthor]

Hey, guys,

Thread going on over in Trek Lit about transphasiac torpedos. How do they work? And are they only effective against the Borg?

As seen in Voyager's "Endgame", one t-torp took out a Borg cube. That being the case, certainly only one would take out a Romulan Warbird, a Negh'var, a Sovereign, pretty much anything. The discussion in Trek Lit sparked discussion about a new arms race in the quadrant, but for some reason I'm thinking the t-torp phases through the Borg multi-adaptive shielding and targets the cube's transwarp coils, causing a massive chain reaction of all of the cube's t-warp coils, and destroying the cube.

Hence, though devastating against cubes and spheres, it wouldn't be much more than a photon torpedo's-worth of explosives (maybe even less, if the phasing mechanism takes up much of the torpedo's interior space) against non-transwarp-equipped ships.

Is there discussion, whether in a previous thread or a novel, in which this is shown? I am led to understand it is discussed in "Greater Than The Sum", and while I have the book, I am leaving it alone for the time being while I finish some other ones in chronological order.

Thanks in advance

It's simple... the answer is in the name of the torpedo... transphasic simply means that the phase variance of the torpedo changes, to avoid any enemy shield adapting to it, or being able to withstand it.

Same principle for quantum torpedoes... the quantum signature of the torpedo is in constant flux, so that in essence, it is always shifting between quantum universes, until it meets its target. This avoids an enemy being able to accurately pinpoint or lock onto the torpedo.

Chronometric torpedoes would be in a constant state of temporal flux, conversely.

 

[Vance]

18 MTs actually closer to a thousand times the yield of the bomb that hit Hiroshima (13-18 KT). Which I think just demonstrates your point that much more.

Jeeze, I didn't even pay attention to the kiloton reference, and just looked at the yield number. In that case, Kirk's torpedoes are already frackin' rediculous... :P

 

[Nightfall to-Ennien]

Precisely. These things are designed by trained engineers and experts, not Jeremy Clarkson. More power isn't a trait indicitive of "more advanced" weaponry.

"Tonight, Scotty is the star in our reasonably priced car, Captain Slow takes the helm of the Enterprise, Richard takes the Type F shuttle 'round our track, and I get to take out a rogue planet with the most powerful torpedo... in the wuhld."

 

[Timo]

In that case, Kirk's torpedoes are already frackin' rediculous...

Depends on whom you ask. TOS itself doesn't give any yields, or other points of comparison. We hear that a small spherical container (torpedo warhead?) is readily available for housing "less than an ounce" of antimatter (whatever the unit "ounce" may mean in the 23rd century - the way the effects are described, a 23rd century ounce equals a few kilograms!), but that's pretty much it.

ENT doesn't go into yields, either, except in the ambiguous terms of iso-units. It's only from the TNG Tech Manual onwards that we start to get yield figures, and that book specifically mentions that some contents are deliberately misleading to fool enemy agents reading the tome...

Judging by onscreen evidence alone, I'd be perfectly happy with Hiroshima-level or weaker photon torpedoes in TOS, TNG and ENT alike. Only an exceptional shot or two would be loaded with more oomph, for demolition purposes, as seen in some of TNG; such yields would be wasteful in ship-to-ship combat.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Vance]

Depends on whom you ask. TOS itself doesn't give any yields, or other points of comparison. We hear that a small spherical container (torpedo warhead?) is readily available for housing "less than an ounce" of antimatter (whatever the unit "ounce" may mean in the 23rd century - the way the effects are described, a 23rd century ounce equals a few kilograms!), but that's pretty much it.

Well, they actually overestimated how much destructive power anti-matter had, I guess, but it was a 'black box thing anyway. But using that amount, you STILL get the astronomical explosion measured in Megatons. Even with 'future materials', it does stretch credibility to think you need an explosive/burn yield three orders of magnitude greater than Hiroshima to wipe out a D-7 ... but, TNG and on pushes the numbers even higher. Does a D'Deridex REALLY need to take a hit from a TERRATON yield weapon?!

ENT doesn't go into yields, either, except in the ambiguous terms of iso-units. It's only from the TNG Tech Manual onwards that we start to get yield figures, and that book specifically mentions that some contents are deliberately misleading to fool enemy agents reading the tome...

That's why no one really cites the TNG manual (and one reason the TNG and DS9 tech books sold so badly). "This book is full of shit," is a GREAT way to sell your material to the fandom at large.

 

[Deks]

I agree that more advanced tech doesn't necessarily imply that the weapons have a much larger explosive yield, however, in this particular instance I'd like to make a comparison:

In one of Voyager episodes of season 6, Icheb was sent (via his parents) to the Borg TW conduit in a small transport ship from which a sphere emerged.
Fast forward to the battle: Voyager transported a photon torpedo inside the sphere once it dropped it's shields which detonated and deliver 'heavy damage' (as Tuvok stated) but did not destroy it.
This points to the possibility that even if you'd put a regular photon torpedo inside Borg cube and detonate it, it wouldn't be nearly enough to destroy it given the fact the ship in question is MUCH larger compared to a sphere.
You'd need about 3 photons detonating (likely from various locations) inside the sphere so it would actually guarantee it's destruction.
A cube would likely require about double (if not triple) explosive yield than that (coupled with a much larger explosion radius) given it's size and mass to guarantee it's destruction.

That's why I don't buy for a second that a regular photon torpedo coupled with a phased generator would be enough.

Unless a torpedo detonates near the power core that would take the remainder of the ship with it (then you don't need a large yield) ... but at the same time, you'd be an idiot to use 26 years outdated warheads against the Borg.

I would personally pump up the explosive yield as much as possible coupled with new torpedo tech that pop out in 30 years time (along with the potential phasing generator ... if that's what 'transphasic' torpedoes use).

The Borg would likely increase their ships durability in the future, so it stands to reason you'd also need a powerful enough explosion to be able to counter that increased durability.

Any regular starship would likely suffer massive damage if not imminent destruction of a standard photon torpedo coupled with a phased generator.
Borg ships are different.
They are much more advanced/powerful compared to just about any race in the Trek Milky way galaxy (sans a few highly advanced cultures likely).

 

[SicOne]

Good points, all; thanks for contributing to the discussion.

I did try to get the attention of recent Trek authors over in Trek Lit, who are using t-torps in their works, and may have information to contribute as well. Standing by.