Subject: History of Warp Sender: news@csus.edu Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1993 03:22:16 GMT Here is

From: kschang@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (Kuo-Sheng Chang) Subject: History of Warp Message-ID: <1993Apr12.032216.27073@csus.edu> Sender: news@csus.edu Organization: San Francisco State University Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1993 03:22:16 GMT Lines: 508 Here is my own compilation of the History of the Warp drive... Hope this would answer quite a few of the questions... :-) All feedbacks are welcome! A B r i e f H i s t o r y o f W a r p i n S t a r T r e k Last update: 4/6/93 Compiled by Kasey K.S. Chang Copyright (c) 1991-1993 This essay is the author's compilation and interpretation of the various sources available on the theory and evolution of warp travel as presented in Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation by Gene Roddenberry and the various Star Trek writers. Almost all sources have been considered (except most fan created stuff, which I don't have access to), and a compromise is arrived at to reconcile most differences. When there are conflicts among the sources, the TNG Technical Manual is chosen to be the undisputed source. If there are no sources available, my conjecture is used. The essay is copyrighted by Kasey K.S. Chang (c) 1991-1993, all rights reserved except as followed: Star Trek and ENTERPRISE are trademarks of Paramount, created by Gene Roddenberry. Sources mentioned are copyrighted by their respective owners/ publishers/ authors/ etc. All attempts to credit them have been attempted, but there will be cases where I missed some. This essay may be freely reproduced in the fandom of Star Trek provided that no fee other than reasonable transfer charges are levied against its distribution, and no changes are done to it in the distribution process. Please contact me if you intend to use any of this in your work/project. Please address any feedback to: Kasey K.S. Chang PC-Link : Ksc1 2220 Turk Blvd. Apt.6 America On-Line : Ksc1 San Francisco, CA 94118 Promenade : Ksc1 Internet Mail at ksc1@aol.com (checked once a week, permanent) or kschang@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (checked more often but may expire) There will be periodic updates as new information came to light, so stay tuned. Enough of the legal jargon... Let's get to the story. BEFORE WARP: IMPULSE ENGINES Before warp engines, there were the impulse engines. Impulse engine is based on the venerable Newtonian action- reaction principle. The energy obtained from the fusion reactors is used to convert deuterium to plasma, and the plasma are ejected via force-fields. The fusion reactors also act as power generators. Starships carry a deuterium tank for "fuel". In an emergency, starships are also equipped with Bussard ramscoops to collect interstellar free hydrogen for the impulse engines. Obviously the acceleration is rather slow. After long periods of acceleration high impulse speeds approaching speed of light can be achieved. However, due to relativistic time dilations, high impulse speeds are not used except in emergencies. Normal impulse operations are limited to a velocity of 0.25c. 1 Timewise, impulse engines are invented in the early twenty-first century, presumably at about 2015. This assumption is based on the fact that Lt.MacGivers had said that the DY-class sleeper ships went out of use circa year 2018 in TOS:"Space Seed". Obviously something much better was found by that time. Since warp drive won't be invented for another 40 plus years, it must be the impulse engines. However, research on it was halted when World War III broke out. When WW3 is over, the expedition to Alpha Centauri was launched with impulse engines. In some sources, the early impulse engines are known as fusion thrusters, which also aptly describe its function. PREDECESSOR OF WARP : CDP ENGINES Zefram Cochrane was credited with the discovery of the principles of "warp drive". In short, single shaped fields, created at tremendous energy expenditure, could distort the space/time continuum sufficiently to drive a starship. 2 By distorting space, you move the ship in that space. The earliest Continuum Distortion Propulsion (CDP) Drive, predecessor of warp drive, was completed by the Cochrane team in 2061, which they named the "fluctuation superimpeller." It is a fusion power source coupled to a subspace distortion generator coil. Unmanned tests showed the device allows the probe to travel at light speed without being subjected to the limits of special relativity. What the drive did is to create a portal between Einsteinian space and "subspace". The portal is unstable due to lack of sufficient power. However, the probe is able to move into the portal and stay within for Planck time (1.3x10^-43 sec), and stay in this universe for Planck time as well. The probe then fluctuates back and forth between normal space and subspace, as the subspace distortion exerts an overall force on it. The net effect is the probe travelled at lightspeed without spending the infinite amount energy as being predicted by theory of relativity. The CDP engines are soon fitted to all ships. The Cochrane team moved to Alpha Centauri later on a CDP-powered ship, where they continued their research. They left probably to escape from the ravages of Terran World War Three. (Probably in the 2072.) The trip took "only four years" due to the CDP drive. Same trip using impulse engines will take at least six, probably more. The engines are also sometimes known as Cochrane Drive, in its creator's honor. The space and subspace distortion is measured in Cochranes, in memory of Zefram Cochrane, who disappeared one day when he is 87 years old. 3 His fate remains unknown. As a sidenote, a subspace distortion field changes the mass of an object by decreasing the gravitational constant within it. If you enclose an object in a subspace field, it will become lighter. 4 One of the first ships with an operation warp drive was the SS VALIANT. It reached the edge of the galaxy and did not return in the process. WARP DRIVE: BEGINNINGS As the CDP drive lacks the power to maintain the portal into subspace (also known as warp space), research is underway to cut down the power-to-volume ratio to maintain a stable portal. The answer is anti-matter. Researchers have long known that matter-antimatter annihilation produces the most power per volume. However, the potential danger is so great that the research in the area is quite slow until forcefields are mastered circa 2015, and the anti-matter can be safely contained and controlled. Even so, the research went on and off as it was interrupted by the Third World War and the Mind Control Revolts. In fact, one of the space stations in Earth orbit was destroyed when the military attempted to appropriate anti-matter for military purposes in 2043. 5 All research halted until the Cochrane team reached Alpha Centauri and resumed research there in 2076. After the matter-antimatter reaction can be safely controlled, it is natural to apply it to the CDP engine. The reaction between matter and antimatter produced clean photons, which are captured and fed to the drive coil(s) to generate subspace fields. It was measured that the CDP engine used approximately 5x10^4 megajoules to travel at lightspeed. Anti-Matter can provide ten to one hundred times the power in the same volume used by fusion plants. Theorists argue over what would happen once the continuum distortion field could be maintained. Most agreed that the power usage will drop when the field is established. However, no one knows what will happen after that, or how they will use it. The probe using anti-matter power was readied and tested in 2085. It sent back surprising news: once lightspeed is breached, the power consumption drops back down to approximately 2x10^2 Mj (MW?). Attempt to increase subspace distortion beyond the point created an approximately cubic relationship between power applied and subspace distortion amount, which in turn affected apparent speed. The probe at one time exceeded 30c, which is a record. The power consumed at that time is approximately 3.1 times the amount used at light speed. Later studies shows that the probe generated subspace fields (later warp fields). The field is asymmetrical, and exerts force in some directions. The probe is moved by the counterforce. To measure the supralight speed, the new unit called "time warp factor" is invented. It is named for the time-space distortions created by the drive. 6 Based on the empirical relationship established during the probe run, the Cochrane team decided to start a scale with lightspeed as the reference point. Based on the (approximate) proportionality between power consumed and apparent speed, they derived a simple formula, S = W^3 c, where S = speed in multiples of c, and W is the "time warp factor". Later, "time" is dropped for simplicity, and the factors simply became known as "warp factor", or more simply "warp". The subspace field that is maintainable became known as the now familiar "warp field". Measured in Cochranes, the its definition is amount of subspace distortion at warp 1, or lightspeed. WARP DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS Improvements to the warp drive are soon added slowly over the next century. Instead of a single coil, multiple coils are used to generate multiple fields. Each field is projected from the ship, which pushes upon each other only in certain directions. The ship then moves in the opposite direction. By varying the frequency of the field generation and the field's direction, velocity, acceleration, and direction of the travel can be controlled. However, there are limitations. One, due to manufacturing technologies, subspace coils can only go up to a certain size, which puts a limit on the size of the field possible, and therefore the size of the ship carrying it. Two, the higher the speed, the higher subspace compression becomes, which in turn means more power must be consumed to generate the same subspace fields at higher velocities. The "new" anti-matter powered ships have a maximum speed of approximately warp 5, or 125c, due to lack of power. The warp 5 limit became know as the first warp barrier, since researchers predicted that unless a breakthrough is found, there is no way a ship can fit the engine needed to break the warp 5 barrier due to limits on energy density. The best ships can do is warp 4.X, never to reach warp 5. A second problem that arises is in order to make sure all matter reacted with antimatter, only tiny amounts of each are injected into the reaction chamber to keep the reaction under control. This slow injection rate limits the speed and acceleration of the ship. At around this period, Klingons and other major races of the galaxy, with significant exception of Romulans, discovered the principles of warp drive soon after the Federation. (Romulans did not obtain warp drive until Treaty of Smerba in 2263, in which Klingons agreed to technological trade of warp drive for cloaking device.) It was rumored that Vulcans have something similar to warp drive long before Zefram Cochrane invented it, but it cannot confirmed due to Federation's founding articles stating privacy concerns of each race's past: members are not required to fully disclose its history. The rumor remained a rumor. 7 SUBSPACE RADIO Once we can travel, we need to communicate. Subspace radio is then invented, since if we can send matter beyond speed of light, why not energy? Subspace radio is based on this principle. Energy with encoded information is sent into warp/sub-space. Its propagation speed and distance depend on how "deep" it went into the warp space, which depends on how much power is applied and how focused and polarized it is when beamed. Early subspace radios went up to warp 8, which is quite a bit faster than ships at that time. Later, the speed is regularly upgraded as more efficient means of transmission are found, driving the energy "harder" and "deeper" into subspace, thus achieving greater warp factors. In TNG Time, subspace radio speed is new warp 9.999, over 200000 times speed of light. However, there is a problem with the subspace radio propagation distance. No matter how focused the signal is, the signal will eventually "float" out of warp space, and drop back into normal space as regular EM waves. For this reason, there are regular subspace booster relays (which also double as navigational beacons) in a network around the Federation and beyond to retransmit the subspace radio waves that are out of energy. 8 Timewise, subspace radio was not invented till 2180's. THE WONDER CRYSTAL: DILITHIUM Dilithium is the most useful material to a starship due to its effect to regulate antimatter flow. In a way, it acts as a sponge to anti-matter when subjected to a high-energy field. It will not react (or react very minutely) with anti-matter itself. Discovered by Geneva Institute of Science in 2160s, dilithium has been overlooked for decades as nothing but a piece of jewelry stone that is VERY hard to cut, therefore valuable. The property of dilithium to regulate antimatter flow was discovered accidentally. In the 2170s, someone wrote a paper on how dilithium appears to glow around power sources. For a while that lead to a new use of the dilithium as special radiation monitors, but that proved to be too expensive, and the idea was dropped. In the 2190s, one of the few power sources still guarded by a dilithium radiation monitor malfunctioned. Later investigation showed that the reactor had a manufacturing defect, but found no explanation for a perfectly round hole 16 meters in length through SOLID TRITANIUM AND CONCRETE, exactly 1 cm in diameter. Approximately five years later, a physicist put forth a paper, claiming that it was the dilithium that discharged the energy beam that drilled through solid metal and concrete. He said that dilithium, after having absorbed sufficient energy, discharged it as perfectly tuned, coherent photons: laser. The paper was considered outrageous by the scientific community and was then ignored, since no proof is possible. In the 2220s, a Federation freighter carrying one of the largest piece of cut dilithium ever made, about size of a fist, was attacked by an Orion Pirate vessel. The captain decided to deny the pirate of his prize, and threw the dilithium crystal into the engine core. The crystal fell, then was held in place by the forcefields that regulate the matter stream flow. The ship suddenly increased speed and left the pirate behind. Later investigations showed that the ship had accelerated to warp 6.8, a new record that could not be verified. Investigation showed that the crystal somehow fell at a precise angle to direct a perfectly tuned plasma stream to the power conduit. StarFleet investigation of the case prompted Federation research into the area. 9 Federation Science Council voted to start research in 2226, after a report on this matter from the Deneva Science Institute was published. The report showed that if matter is injected into the dilithium crystal opposed by equal amounts of anti-matter, the result is almost perfectly tuned plasma, yielding much higher energy efficiency than pure matter-antimatter reaction without dilithium. Previously, in order to ensure the matter-antimatter reaction do not leave any residue, only minuscule amounts are injected at a time. Now, with dilithium, larger engines could be built since total reaction between matter and antimatter can be virtually assured. The only thing limiting ship size is the warp coil size. Early ships with dilithium crystal equipped warp engines needs to replace the crystals frequently since the crystals decrystallize after certain amount of usage. It was not totally understood why this would occur other than the simple explanation of "aging". Subjecting the ship to high warp stress appears to accelerate the "aging" process. Later on, it was found that imperfections in the crystal trapped antimatter atoms, which then reacted with the crystal itself, causing the molecular chain of the crystal to fall apart over time. Higher the warp factor, the most matter/anti-matter reaction, and more chance for anti-matter to trap inside the crystal. However, scientists are puzzled since if that is the case, the crystal decay rate would be thousands of times faster than the actual rate. A theoretical explanation was offered much later, that high energy photons, when absorbed by dilithium, rebuilds the molecular chains. The matter-antimatter reaction produced photons, which means the crystal is self-repairing, up to a point, beyond which it starts to disintegrate. 10 Theoretically it is possible to regenerate a dilithium crystal. However, it was found that it is much more practical to mine dilithium that the idea was not tested or put to use until 2286. Dilithium provided the necessary breakthrough to leap beyond the first warp barrier. Sufficient power is now available to power warp engines to deal with high power expenditures needed to surpass the power peak found at warp factor 5, and beyond. The "Starship" Project, headed by Captain Robert April, decided to incorporate the fledgling technology, sometimes known as "fourth generation warp drive", into the latest Federation ship, the CONSTITUTION-class. It was 2245 then. It was a major success, and CONSTITUTION-class heavy cruisers became the mainstay of StarFleet. In 2238, it was found that Klingons already possess Dilithium- enhanced warp drive, much to Federation's chagrin. (Klingons also had transporters years before the Federation.) Later improvements brought about at the time of ST:TMP brought the theoretical maximum speed to warp 12, or 1728c. Although this speed limit has been broken (ENTERPRISE once achieved speed of 14.1), those are under extraordinary circumstances and cannot be repeated. After further research, it was found that speed increase beyond warp 11 requires exponential increase in power consumption, not the original cubed. In fact, beyond warp 4 the formula relating power/warp factor to speed is no longer purely cubic. Greater the speed, larger the "error". TRILITHIUM There were several speculation at what is trilithium and what could it do for starships. The answer is finally provided in TNG:"Starship Mine", when mercenaries stole "trilithium resins" from Enterprise's warp reactor core. Picard have remarked that the trilithium resins are dangerous byproducts from the warp reactions. We could therefore safely conclude that trilithium is an unstable form of dilithium formed by the constant high-energy bombardment. It is obvious that trilithium is of no use whatsoever to ship's engines, despite several attempts in novels to portray trilithium as "better dilithium". TRANSWARP No information available, as the subject is still classified. It is believed that the term "transwarp" is short for "transcendental warp". While the term could mean above all warp before it, the term also has a second meaning: above and beyond the material universe. Speculations suspect that the ships equipped with transwarp can reach warp 20 or beyond. Several conjectures are available. One source suggested that a third space (counting normal space and warp space) is used to bypass yet more physical laws. Another source suggested that multiple warp fields are used for a combined multiplier effect. Whatever its origin, Transwarp was field tested on the new ship NX-2000 USS EXCELSIOR. Transwarp was then declared an operational failure in the early 2280's, and the project was abandoned in 2287. EXCELSIOR had its transwarp apparatus removed and refitted with regular warp drive, and was rechristened as NCC-2000. 11 OTHER SUBSPACE APPLICATIONS Subspace distortion have found many other uses besides faster- than-light propulsion. For example, a limited-scale subspace coil generates a field limited to the main computer core of the GALAXY- class starship, allowing increased signal propagation speeds inside, therefore a faster computer. 12 Other applications of subspace field includes application to augment impulse engines. During the development of the AMBASSADOR- class starship, it was found that the impulse engines cannot produce sufficient thrust to accelerate the ship (3.71 million metric tons) at an acceptable rate. The solution is to add a subspace coil which generates a "light" subspace field around the ship, thus lowering its apparent mass and increased acceleration. The secondary coil became standard onboard the GALAXY-class impulse engines as well. 13 The secondary coil have an additional effect: it allows the Saucer section to retain the warp envelope from the Battle section even after separation. Since the Saucer section is not warp capable, the retained warp envelope means it will retain a much higher velocity than pure impulse, thus a greater safety margin. Having this also makes seperation at warp speed possible. The warp envelope is not maintainable, however, and will decay. 14 REDEFINING WARP For many decades, scientists have demanded a revision of the warp factor scale. The early scale was based on incomplete information. The power consumption ratio does not follow the cubed formula at warp factors greater than 5, and falls entirely out of proportion when pushing warp 11 and beyond. Vulcan Academy of Science, after decades of studying warp factors and related power consumption, found a series of repeating peaks and bottoms. At certain intervals along the power consumption curve, there are vertical drops, then geometrical increases of power usage vs velocity. A revised scale used these regular peaks and valleys to be the basepoints for the warp factors. There are nine valleys between warp 0.9 and warp 10, and at warp 10 the speed is infinite. Please see TNG Tech Manual's chart. The revised warp scale was approved by the Federation Council in 2271 and was put into use immediately. For several years both "old warp" and "new warp" were used. Here is a conversion chart for those who do not have the TNG Tech Manual handy: new c old comments ---- ---- ---- ------------------------ 1 1 1.0 2 10 2.2 3 39 3.4 4 102 4.7 5 214 6.0 6 392 7.3 normal cruising speed 7 656 8.7 8 1024 10.1 9 1516 11.5 emergency speed 9.6 1909 12.4 design maximum speed 9.9 3053 14.5 absolute maximum speed 9.91 3413 15.1 9.95 5094 17.2 9.99 7912 19.9 only Borg and Q go this fast 9.999 237360 61.9 subspace radio speed 10 infinite !!!! As many of you may have noticed, the warp factor scale increases exponentially after warp 9. Some may have noticed that from warp 1 to 9, the formula is approx S = W ^ (10/3) + (10 - W) ^ 3/11 * c. After warp 9, the increase is exponential and/or logarithmic. Warp 10 is defined to be infinite speed. (who came up with that formula?) Warp 10 in warp space is similar to lightspeed in normal space. At warp 10, time stops, and volume is infinite. The object at warp 10 is at all points in space at all times. At lightspeed in normal space, the object would be infinitely small, and time stops. The analogy between the two is clear. Technically there is nothing to stop you from going at warp 10. However, it is not practical since for you, the time stops. You would have no way to slow yourself down again. Since you are at all points of space, technically you have infinite speed. However, travel is about going where you want to go. And if you travel at warp 10 you are going nowhere. NEXT GENERATION WARP DRIVE Other than greater efficiency and better intermix control, there are no breakthrough warp technologies in The Next Generation, nor are any expected, according to experts. Top warp speed in TNG is warp 9.99, and a starship can only maintain this speed for minutes. Any further attempt will result in engine core meltdown and catastrophic release of matter/antimatter. SOLITON WAVEGUIDE PROPULSION An experimentation using Soliton waves in 2368 to propel starships was proven temporarily successful. A ship was sent and a soliton wave transmitted to envelope it, thus propelling it into warp space. Unfortunately, the soliton wave fell apart soon after, as the rapidly changing frequency and amplitude somehow found a resonance frequency. The ship was destroyed due to extreme stress, and the soliton wave enlarged itself by constructive interference. Fortunately ENTERPRISE was able to dissipate it by a well-placed photon torpedo detonation. It was not known whether the presence of a warp-capable ship pacing the wave could have affected it. 15 This is an interesting concept since the experimental ship used is a sublight ship, not capable of warp. This method of propulsion means all of the energy expenditures are on the ground or in orbit, and is also much more efficient than the regular warp drive. This concept, when compared to regular warp travel, is analogous to the relation between cable cars 16 and automobiles. Once perfected, this method will allow the various systems be linked via Soliton wave guides, thus creating regular routes. Major connection hubs can allow passengers and/or cargo to depart to the closest hub, then travel via regular warp ships to their destination. LOOKING BEYOND The following are under consideration or further research: ** A "shunt" drive, almost instantaneous transport from point A to point B, similar to wormhole but controlled ** Psi-assisted warp drive, as demonstrated by the "Traveller", with speeds at or beyond warp 9.9999999996 ** Soliton wave propelled external warp drive, 400+ time more efficient than regular warp drive, for regular route travel That's it for now. Keep trekkin'! --Kasey K.S. Chang, Treknologist 1 See TNG Tech Manual, section 8.2 2 See TNG Tech Manual, Section 5.1 3 See TOS: Metamorphosis 4 See episode TNG:"Deja Q". 5 This is solely my imagination, but very possible. The year references are made to fit within my TREKLINE timeline. 6 Please check "The Menagerie"/"The Cage", where Captain Pike clearly used the term "time warp". 7 See "Strangers From the Sky" by Magaret Wander Bonnano 8 See TNG Tech Manual Section 8.5. Also, in the "Star Trek Maps" there is a diagram showing the beacon network. 9 Another invention of mine... Though the year is based on the evidence present in TOSN:The Final Reflection by John M. Ford 10 See ST4:TVH for "proof", though I came up with the idea 11 You've seen Star Trek VI. If EXCELSIOR had transwarp, would it have taken so long to get to Kirk's aid? Besides, Sulu had said they were only doing warp nine-point-something. 12 This is in TNG Tech Manual, section 13 This is in TNG Tech Manual, section 14 This is from TNG:"Encounter at Farpoint". 15 You know this episode! 16 You don't know what a cable car is? Come visit San Francisco! END