Particle weapon

Particle weapon was a generalized term for several different types of directed energy weapon technologies. These weapons used different atomic or subatomic particles in the form of particle beams or projectile-like bursts of particles to bombard the target with destructive energy.

Particle cannon was the term commonly used to refer to ship-mounted particle weapons. Impacts usually left scorch marks on a ship's hull. In the case of high-yield particle impacts, the particle residue might cause oxidization and thermal shock effects. (ENT: "Fight or Flight") Particle accelerators could also be utilized as particle weapons. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part II")

Types of particle weapons[]

Several species utilized what was only described as particle weapons during the mid-22nd century as both ship-mounted cannons and sidearm weapons. During later centuries it was more common to use specific designations for these particle weapons. (ENT: "Judgment") Particle weapons were classified by the type of atomic or subatomic particles used to deliver the destructive energy to the target. These included:

• Antiproton-based particle weapons, such as the antiproton beam weapon of the "Planet killer". (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
• Graviton-based particle weapons, such as the heavy graviton beam, a proposed anti-Borg weapon. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds")
• Ion-based particle weapons, such as the phased ion cannons used by the Mokra Order. (VOY: "Resistance")
• Nadion-based particle weapons, such as most phaser weapons. (VOY: "Time and Again")
• Neutral particle-based particle weapons, such as those used on Talarian warships. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
• Neutron-based particle weapons, such as the neutronic weapons on Penk's starship. (VOY: "Tsunkatse")
• Plasma-based particle weapons, such as the plasma cannons and rifles used by several species. (ENT: "Fortunate Son")
• Polaron-based particle weapons, such as the phased polaron beam weapons used on Jem'Hadar fighters. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")
• Positron-based particle weapons, such as the positron-antiproton weapon of the Delta Rana warship. (TNG: "The Survivors")
• Proton-based particle weapons, such as the proton beam weapons on Ramuran vessels. (VOY: "Unforgettable")
• Teryon-based particle weapons, such as the Lenarian compressed teryon beam weapons. (TNG: "Tapestry")
• Tetryon-based particle weapons, such as the weapons of Nasari ships. (VOY: "Favorite Son")
• Thoron-based particle weapons, such as the thoron rifles used by the Ilari. (VOY: "Warlord")
• Verteron-based particle weapons, such as the verteron array on Mars. (ENT: "Demons")

Additionally a navigational deflector could be utilized as a particle weapon. The various types of particle beams that could be emitted included:

• Antithoron beams, that could be used to destabilize containment fields. (VOY: "Hunters")
• Radion beams, that could be used to penetrate metaphasic shields. (VOY: "Resistance")
• Tachyon beams, that could be used to disrupt shields and penetrate through the hull to detonate the warp core of a target. (Star Trek: Insurrection; VOY: "Dreadnought")

Particle weapons were also differentiated by the type of emissions they produced. Particle emission types included:

• Compressed emissions, such as in the compressed tetryon beam weapon. (DS9: "Necessary Evil")
• Forced emissions, such as the forced plasma beam of a Ferengi phaser. (TNG: "Descent")
• Jacketed emissions, such as the jacketed streams fired by the Delta Rana warship. (TNG: "The Survivors")
• Modulating pulse emissions, such as in modulating phaser pulse weapons. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")
• Phase-modulated emissions, such as in phase weapons. (ENT: "Silent Enemy")
• Phased emissions, such as in the phased polaron beam weapons. (DS9: "The Jem'Hadar")
• Pulsed emissions, such as in the pulsed phase cannons. (ENT: "Home")
• Pulse phased emissions, such as in the pulse phased weapons on Delta Flyer. (VOY: "Body and Soul")

Several particle weapons were based on phaser or disruptor technology. These could be further modified to produce particle emissions that included:

• Covariant emissions from phasers, that could penetrate shields that are in the state of phase retraction. (VOY: "Parturition")
• Luvetric emissions from phasers, that could create resonance fluctuation in power cells. (TNG: "Descent")
• Phase-resonant emissions from disruptors, that could disable shield generators. (TNG: "Gambit, Part I")

Applications[]

Hand-held particle weaponry[]

Vulcans utilized hand-held particle weapons as early as the mid-20th century. (ENT: "Carbon Creek") By the mid-22nd century, Coridanite rebels were armed with particle weapons. (ENT: "Shadows of P'Jem") The Tandarans were also armed with particle weapons, during this time. (ENT: "Detained") Xindi-Insectoids were, likewise, armed with particle weapon sidearms. (ENT: "Hatchery") The Suliban also used particle weapon sidearms which were capable of stunning their victims. (ENT: "Cold Front")

In the visions created by the Nakan memorial on Tarakis, Saavdra claimed the civilian colonists were using particle weapons against his soldiers. (VOY: "Memorial")

Another type of particle weapon was phase-pistols that Starfleet issued during the mid-22nd century. (ENT: "The Communicator") In that same timeframe, Starfleet also issued a variety of plasma-based sidearms. The EM-33, an EM weapon, required the user to compensate for particle drift when firing. (ENT: "Sleeping Dogs") The standard-issue carbine weapon of MACO personnel was a particle rifle. (ENT: "The Xindi", et al.)

The phase-pistol, the predecessor of the phaser, fired a continuous beam and unlike the EM-33, was capable of stun and kill settings. (ENT: "Broken Bow") The particle yield of phase-pistols can be doubled by cross-polarizing the power cells. (ENT: "Regeneration") The MACO phase-pistols fired phase pulses. (ENT: "Babel One")

During his meeting with the security officers, Captain Jean-Luc Picard noted that particle weapons, such as their phaser rifles, could destroy the warp core during their retake of main engineering from the Borg. (Star Trek: First Contact)

Ship-mounted particle weaponry[]

Particle cannons were used on Vaadwaur assault fighters in the late-15th century. (VOY: "Dragon's Teeth")

Shortly after the introduction of the phase cannons utilized by Starfleet starships it was determined that they could not be fired at warp due to the particle discharge. According to Malcolm Reed, "It would destabilize [their] warp field and most likely burn out both [of their] nacelles." (ENT: "Fallen Hero") This problem was solved shortly afterward. (ENT: "Shockwave, Part II") To the Klingons of the 22nd century, these cannons were described as "low-yield particle cannons," and were deemed little threat to a D5-class battle cruiser. (ENT: "Judgment")

Many species encountered by Starfleet during the 22nd century were armed with similar ship-mounted weapons. Suliban cell ships utilized high-yield particle weapons. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "Shockwave") The armament of Enolian shuttles consisted of fore and aft particle cannons, which were less than a match for an NX-class starship. (ENT: "Canamar") Xindi-Insectoid starships were armed with up to half a dozen ship-mounted particle cannons. (ENT: "Hatchery") Andorian battle cruisers were armed with particle cannons, including multiple forward cannons. (ENT: "Kir'Shara", "Zero Hour") Tellarite cruisers were also armed with particle cannons, which left a signature unique to Tellarite technology. (ENT: "Babel One") Xantoras patrol ships were equipped with low-power particle beams. (ENT: "The Breach")

In the 23rd century, the USS Defiant was also equipped with particle cannons. Upon touring the vessel once it was captured by the Terran Empire in 2155 of the mirror universe, Admiral Black planned for the ship's particle cannons to be replicated, and the Imperial fleet then upgraded with the resulting duplicates. Black hoped the cannons could help the Terran Empire win a war it was waging against a group of rebels. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")

External link[]

• Particle-beam weapon at Wikipedia