Phasers On Dematerialize- Neutrino Conversion?

[Samuel]

A common complaint about the phasers on Star Trek being able to "dematerialize" an object (appearing to break down something the size of a person into energy energy) has been that any object (or person) massing around 70 kilograms (or 150 lbs. give or take) converted into energy would produce what would amount to an explosion equivalent to megaton range nuclear weapons.
Yet in Star Trek this happens plenty of times with the paint on the bulkheads or floor carpet not so much as scorched.

But what if a phaser set to dematerialize instead actually had the effect of converting matter to neutrinos? From what I've read of physics, neutrinos will only interact with normal matter with great difficulty. In fact billions pass through our bodies all the time with no noticeable effect.
So a persons body suddenly transforming into a billions of neutrinos would in fact "not scorch the carpet"
How viable is such a concept?

 

[Ronald Held]

Noncanon explanation has most mass/energy going into subspace.

 

[Samuel]

Noncanon explanation has most mass/energy going into subspace.

I've never seen that suggested. I like mine better.

 

[Timo]

Isn't the name telling already? Phasing is what happens when one uses the transporter. People subjected to that machine turn into phased matter, which in episodes like "Time's Arrow" or "The Next Phase" is a parallel reality, apparently slightly offset in time or other such nonsense.

Surely phasers are just narrow-application transporters, devices that don't sweat rematerialization, that is, re-phasing.

It is obvious that the thing the heroes colloquially call "vaporizing" does not involve much energy release to this universe- holes drilled in rock or metal are immediately cool to the touch, say. But "this universe" isn't the only choice of location in Trek. Indeed, I guess we can safely chuck most conservation laws in Trek, and thus never worry about stuff like the massive difference in potential energy or rotational momentum between a transportee at the beginning of his surface-to-orbit trip, and a transportee at the end of that trip.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[CorporalCaptain]

But what if a phaser set to dematerialize instead actually had the effect of converting matter to neutrinos?

Interesting idea, especially if we are considering TOS and TAS phasers of the 1960s and 1970s respectively and not attempting to reconcile them with what was shown in TWOK and TNG.

 

[Samuel]

Interesting idea, especially if we are considering TOS and TAS phasers of the 1960s and 1970s respectively and not attempting to reconcile them with what was shown in TWOK and TNG.

Hand phasers in every incarnation of Star Trek (except I don't know about Discovery) have shown the ability on some setting to "dematerialize" a target though it seems that often a phaser simply set on kill doesn't necessarily do that. It probably is considered a waste of power.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Hand phasers in every incarnation of Star Trek (except I don't know about Discovery) have shown the ability on some setting to "dematerialize" a target though it seems that often a phaser simply set on kill doesn't necessarily do that. It probably is considered a waste of power.

Yes, but the VFX are different on the different shows. On TOS there was just the green glow on a freeze-framed target, whereas in TWOK and TNG there was an animated target who could experience getting burned away. And the description varies, cf "vaporize" which in our terminology precludes conversion to neutrinos, as discussed already; TOS/TAS didn't get so specific.

 

[Ronald Held]

Neutrinos are easily detected, at least in the 24 century.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Neutrinos are easily detected, at least in the 24 century.

And? Neutrinos don't scorch the floor.

 

[Ronald Held]

A high enough density would induce radioactivity,inverse inverse beta decay?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

A high enough density would induce radioactivity,inverse inverse beta decay?

Interesting notion, but, if dematerialization produces only low-enough energy neutrinos, below electron rest mass, then charged current interaction between the neutrinos and their surroundings via W boson exchange will not occur. Only the neutral current interaction via Z boson exchange could occur, and all that would do is produce EM Cherenkov radiation, which interestingly, exact color and location notwithstanding, would be a light show that in broad strokes might be compatible with the TOS VFX.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino_detector#Theory

 

[Samuel]

Interesting notion, but, if dematerialization produces only low-enough energy neutrinos, below electron rest mass, then charged current interaction between the neutrinos and their surroundings via W boson exchange will not occur. Only the neutral current interaction via Z boson exchange could occur, and all that would do is produce EM Cherenkov radiation, which interestingly, exact color and location notwithstanding, would be a light show that in broad strokes might be compatible with the TOS VFX.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino_detector#Theory

Of course I suppose the big question would be how to produce neutrino conversion in the first place

 

[Ronald Held]

I prefer the majority of the energy goes into subspace. YMMV.