<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Warp drive is the most common method of faster-than-light (FTL) travel in the Star Trek universe. Warp engines allow a spacecraft to create a field or bubble around the hull of the ship. This field "warps" space ahead and behind the ship, propelling it faster than the speed of light.

Contents 1 The Warp Engine 1.1 The Warp Core 1.2 The Warp Coils 2 The History of Warp Drive 3 Warp Theory

The Warp Engine

The warp engine of the Star Trek universe consists of two major assemblies, the warp core and the warp coils.

The Warp Core

The warp core generates all the power necessary for propulsion and is typically located in Main Engineering. The core is powered by a matter/antimatter reaction. It is typically a vertical assembly, consisting of 2 sets magnetic constrictors above and below a reaction chamber. Matter (typically deuterium) is channeled through the upper constrictors. Antimatter (typically Anti-Deuterium) is channeled through the lower constrictors. The constrictors compress the reactants to thin, easier to control streams that meet in the reaction chamber. In the reaction chamber, matter and antimatter annihilate to create a tremendous amount of energy. This energy is released as high energy plasma (warp plasma). The reaction is controlled by dilithium crystals. Dilithium is porous to antimatter under certain circumstances, this property allows the dilithium matrix to control how much antimatter reacts with matter. When the reaction occurs, the facets of the crystal help direct the plasma streams to their corresponding plasma transfer conduits (PTC). The PTCs transfer the plasma to the warp nacelles.

The Warp Coils

Warp plasma travels to the warp coils via the power transfer conduits. In most ships, the warp coils are housed in nacelles. Nacelles are the pods typically found towards the aft of the ship. In Federation starships, the warp nacelles usually emit a blue light when they are powered. In the nacelle, the warp plasma is channeled into the plasma injectors. These injectors control the flow of the plasma to the coils. The manipulation of the plasma flow allows for fine control of the warp field. This control allows the ship to accelerate and decelerate.

The History of Warp Drive

Shortly after the end of the third World War,in 2061, the first Warp flight was done by Zefram Cochrane. In between the Original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation the warp scale changed making Warp Ten the fastest, yet unreachable warp speed. Warp Theory states that if one was to achieve Warp 10 they would occupy all points in the Universe at the same time. In Star Trek: Voyager Tom Paris was the first person to travel at Warp 10, and confirmed that he was everywhere at once.

Warp Theory