Star Trek: An attempt to make sense of some contradiction

[Lucky]

An attempt to make sense of some minor contradictions: Determining the percentage of Nadios in a Phaser Beam

KIRA: This is a standard issue, Cardassian phase-disruptor rifle. It has a four point seven megajoule power capacity, three millisecond recharge two beam settings. 


ZIYAL: How do you know so much about Cardassian weapons? 


KIRA: We captured a lot of them during the occupation. It's a good weapon, solid, simple. You can drag it through the mud and it'll still fire. Now this. (Federation phaser rifle.) This is an entirely different animal. Federation standard issue. It's a little less powerful, but it's got a more options. Sixteen beam settings. Fully autonomous recharge, multiple target acquisition, gyro stabilised, the works. It's a little more complicated, so it's not as good a field weapon. Too many things can go wrong with it. 


ZIYAL: I can see why my father likes having you around. 


KIRA: I think you should stick with the Cardassian rifle. It's smaller, easier to use, and if we get boarded I don't want you to have to think too much about the weapon you're using.

Range: ?????
Rate of Fire: 20,000 Rounds Per-Minute
Cartridge: 4.7 Megajoules
Output: 1566.66667 Megawatts or roughly 1.6 Gigawatts

As we can see the standard Starfleet Phaser has an output slightly below a Cardassian Phase Disruptor's 1566.66667 Megawatt output.

WORF: These wounds were caused by a forced plasma beam, similar to a Ferengi hand phaser.

SHELBY: I think we should look at modifying the plasma phaser design.

LAFORGE: At the same time, we'll be retuning phasers to higher EM base emitting frequencies to try to disrupt their subspace field.

Clearly a large aspect of the standard issue Starfleet phaser comes from plasma and photons

(Data and Geordi are doing test firings of the phaser rifle) 


DATA: Energy flow is within normal parameters, from the pre-fire chamber to the emission aperture. 


LAFORGE: Rapid nadion pulse, right on target. Beam control assembly, safety interlock, both checked out. Beam width intensity controls also responding correctly. 


DATA: Energy cell usage remains constant at one point oh five megajoules per second. Curious. The efficiency reading on the discharge crystal is well above Starfleet specifications. 


LAFORGE: Yeah, by quite a bit. Ninety four point one percent efficiency. 


DATA: Our most efficient discharge crystal typically fires with eighty six point five percent efficiency.

1.05 Megawatt nadion pulses are commonly fired from Starfleet Type-3 phasers, but Major Kirs stated that a standard Starfleet Type-3 phaser fired a little less then 1566.66667 Megawatts.

Nadions make up roughly 0.06700701978302488% of a standard Starfleet Type-3 Phaser's output.

Thoughts?

[359]

Well, Data stated that the energy cell usage was at 1.05 MW. So that's its total output, not just the nadion component. Further there is nothing in the scene to suggest that they were firing the weapon at full power. A weapon, I may point out, that has been stated to have the ability to destroy the ship were a high setting beam to strike the warp core. So the likelihood that they were firing at a high setting is quite low.

[Lucky]

Well, Data stated that the energy cell usage was at 1.05 MW. So that's its total output, not just the nadion component. Further there is nothing in the scene to suggest that they were firing the weapon at full power. A weapon, I may point out, that has been stated to have the ability to destroy the ship were a high setting beam to strike the warp core. So the likelihood that they were firing at a high setting is quite low.

But the quote doesn't make sense when compared to just The Next Generation let alone adding Voyager and Deep Space Nine unless they are only measuring a tiny portion of the beam. Phasers are stated in "Best of Both Worlds" and "Decent" to be plasma weapon rather then nadion weapons.

The whole point is to try to make sense of Mind's Eye which is the outlier.

[359]

It makes perfect sense, nowhere does it state that the beam is purely made of nadions. It simply states a rate of energy consumption, and a component of the beam, as well as a few other superfluous components. So we know nadions are in the beam, we don't know how much of the energy they contribute, nor do we know their density. But we do know they are there.

This is further confirmed in VOY: "Time and Again" in which Lt. Torres comments on the nadions being emitted by Janeway's hand phaser. Thus we do know, along with TNG: "The Minds Eye" that nadions play a major role in phaser beams.

Torres: "I'm getting nadion particle resistance from the other side."

Additionally the quote from Cmdr. Shelby in TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds" suggests that Federation phasers are not plasma based as she referred specifically to the plasma phaser design indicating that it is separate from the standard phaser design. However phaser beams can clearly be plasma based. From these quotes I would guess that the Federation's phasers are EM based whereas the Ferengi use plasma based phaser beams. However both would likely carry nadions as that seems to be the basis of phaser technology.

From this we have an operating principle for phasers that is supported by every mentioned technical aspect of phaser design. For summary we know they are particle weapons, have nadions, have EM spectrum, and can be plasma.

[Lucky]

It makes perfect sense, nowhere does it state that the beam is purely made of nadions. It simply states a rate of energy consumption, and a component of the beam, as well as a few other superfluous components. So we know nadions are in the beam, we don't know how much of the energy they contribute, nor do we know their density. But we do know they are there.

This is further confirmed in VOY: "Time and Again" in which Lt. Torres comments on the nadions being emitted by Janeway's hand phaser. Thus we do know, along with TNG: "The Minds Eye" that nadions play a major role in phaser beams.

Torres: "I'm getting nadion particle resistance from the other side."

I'm getting the feeling you haven't read my O.P., or drastically misunderstood it.

My hypothesis is that the information given in Mind's Eye can be used to determine what percentage of a type-3 phaser's beam is made of Nadions do to the fact they are ignoring every other component of the beam, save the Nadions for some odd reason.

The scene in mind's eye doesn't really make sense by itself even.

Additionally the quote from Cmdr. Shelby in TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds" suggests that Federation phasers are not plasma based as she referred specifically to the plasma phaser design indicating that it is separate from the standard phaser design. However phaser beams can clearly be plasma based. From these quotes I would guess that the Federation's phasers are EM based whereas the Ferengi use plasma based phaser beams. However both would likely carry nadions as that seems to be the basis of phaser technology.

I don't think Shelby is saying what you think she is:

SHELBY: A manipulation effect in the Borg ship's subspace field. A definite pattern at four point eight minute intervals during your first confrontation with them. 


LAFORGE: Might indicate high output auxiliary generators kicking in. 


SHELBY: One theory is that their systems are decentralised with redundant power sources located throughout the ship. 


DATA: That is a reasonable conclusion. Borg technology has given each member of their society the ability to interface and function collectively. It is likely they have constructed their ship with the same philosophy. 


WESLEY: You knock out one generator and another takes over without interruption. 


RIKER: What kind of damage would we have to do to shut them down? 


SHELBY: Projections suggest that a Borg ship like this one could continue to function effectively even if seventy eight percent of it was inoperable. 


WESLEY: And our best shot barely scratched the surface. 


LAFORGE: Well, from what I've seen, I can't believe any of these new weapons systems can be ready in less than eighteen months, Commander. 


SHELBY: We've been projecting twenty four. 


RIKER: Is there anything we can do here to adapt to our current defence systems? 


LAFORGE: We'll have to go through the specs again, but. I don't know. My mind's turned to clay. 


WESLEY: Mine too. 


SHELBY: I think we should look at modifying the plasma phaser design. 


RIKER: Commander, I think we should call it a night. That's an order. We'll reconvene at oh five hundred. 


SHELBY: Sir, if you'll allow me to continue with Mister Data, who does not require rest. 


RIKER: You need rest, Commander. 


SHELBY: If we have a confrontation with the Borg without improving our defence systems 


RIKER: If we have a confrontation, I don't want a crew fighting the Borg at the same time they're fighting their own fatigue. Dismissed.

Shelby is talking about what they can do then and there, and she says modify rather then build or design, and they bluntly state that they don't have time to design and build new systems anyway.

From this we have an operating principle for phasers that is supported by every mentioned technical aspect of phaser design. For summary we know they are particle weapons, have nadions, have EM spectrum, and can be plasma.

This was something I confirmed in the opening post.

[359]

I'm getting the feeling you haven't read my O.P., or drastically misunderstood it.

My hypothesis is that the information given in Mind's Eye can be used to determine what percentage of a type-3 phaser's beam is made of Nadions do to the fact they are ignoring every other component of the beam, save the Nadions for some odd reason.

The scene in mind's eye doesn't really make sense by itself even.

I have read and understood your OP. Its main thrust is that nations are not the major component in a phaser's beam by energy, specifically ≈0.07% of there phaser's total energy output. This number is arrived at by dividing the power value from TNG: "The Mind's Eye" by the power derived from DS9: "Return to Grace."

My point is that the power stated in TNG: "The Mind's Eye" is not useful for such a calculation because they are measuring "energy cell usage" and not beam output.

The specific reference to nations is to a rapid stream of pulses composing the beam. Presumably the specifically comment on the nations because that would be a way of determining the authenticity of the device, which is what they were investigating.

Shelby is talking about what they can do then and there, and she says modify rather then build or design, and they bluntly state that they don't have time to design and build new systems anyway.

Yes, I understand that. But the way she talks about plasma phasers implies that it is a distinct design to the method currently employed on Federation star ships. Presumably since they are discussing ways to modify their weapons it would make sense that this is both different and an easy change to the phaser emitters.

This was something I confirmed in the opening post.

Indeed, hence the "for summary" bit, simply to restate the information after several posts of discussion. Specifically that the necessity of having plasma in the beam as a optional feature.


So again to summarize my position. I would argue that nations are the active component of a phaser beam, with a carrier structure of either EM or plasma being used as a delivery method.