Subject: REC.ARTS.STARTREK.TECH FAQ: Warp and Subspace
From: [email-masked] (Joshua Sean Bell)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.tech

Warp and Subspace FAQ
                                       
   Last modified: Friday, 25 April 2003 02:03 AM -0700
   Maintained by: Joshua Bell, [email-masked]
   Archive site (WWW): http://www.calormen.net/Star_Trek/
   FTP site (text versions): ftp://ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca/startrek/minifaqs/
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Copyright (c) 1994-2003, Joshua Bell. Not in the public domain.
   Permission to distribute this document, unedited and including this
   copyright notice is granted, provided no fees are charged for access
   beyond charges for downloading or connection time from a commercial
   information service. Publication of this document in a magazine or
   journal (in any media format) must be approved by the author.
   
   Star Trek (R), Star Trek: The Next Generation (R), Star Trek: Deep Space
   Nine (R) and Star Trek: Voyager (R) are trademarks of Paramount Pictures
   registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   I recommend reading the following documents by Jason Hinson:
     * Relativity and FTL Travel
     * Subspace Physics
       
   Both of these are posted frequently to rec.arts.startrek.tech, and
   they can also be found at http://www.ee.umanitoba.ca/~djc/startrek/.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   This FAQ does not discuss warp speeds. See the Warp Velocities FAQ for
   discussions of the various warp speed scales and formulas to calculate
   speeds given a warp factor.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Contents:

    1. A Wrench in the Works - Mechanics of Warp Drive
    2. Can We Talk? - Subspace Communication
    3. Faster Than Faster Than Light
    4. Nitty Gritty - Miscellaneous Stuff
    5. Contributors
    6. Glossary
    7. References
     _________________________________________________________________
   
1. A Wrench in the Works

   NOTE: There are two distinct problems to be solved when describing any
   FTL drive:
    1. Special Relativity predicts (and this has been verified by
       thousands of particle accelerator experiments) that it will take
       infinite energy to accelerate an object to the speed of light, and
       that acceleration past the speed of light is not possible.
    2. In a relativistic universe, if you could get from point A to point
       B faster than light could by ANY means (including leaving the
       universe altogether), you have traveled backwards in time from
       certain reference frames. Thus, you could, for example, relay a
       message to yourself before you underwent the FTL travel, and
       create a paradox.
       
   Both must be addressed to form a believable FTL system.
   
   "Warp works by <insert idea here>!"
   
   Some favorites include:
     * Making space into waves, and skipping between the crests.
     * Bringing points in space closer together.
     * Changing the speed of light around the ship. *
     * The ship's mass is reduced to 0, and it can go any speed.**
     * Leaving our universe, and going through a hyperspace.
     * Entering subspace, and taking a bubble of real space with you.
     * Compressing space around the ship to make the distance shorter.
       
   All of these attempt to get around the first problem, but ignore the
   second. And none of these match the evidence seen on screen and in the
   Tech Manual, which is that the FTL effect is created by powerful,
   nested subspace (a.k.a. warp) fields that push off each other to
   generate FTL speeds.
   
   Further, without any additional effects, each of these can lead to a
   violation of causality, meaning every time you go into warp you time
   travel, from a certain frame of reference. This is addressed in great
   detail in Jason Hinson's "Relativity and FTL" FAQ.
   
   Ships in warp interact with things in normal space, one of the reasons
   for the navigational deflector. Things in warp require a subspace
   field to enter and stay in warp, and it takes an enormous amount of
   power to generate this. When the subspace field decays, a ship drops
   out of warp returning to some STL velocity.
   
   * The point has been made that by constructing a space with a
   hyperbolic geometry between the source and destination of two points,
   you can get away with FTL travel without the nasty causality violation
   effects pointed out by Jason's FAQ. However, this involves making
   changes to space-time along your entire flight path before you travel,
   and it does not appear possible to construct this path faster than c,
   so you'd have to set up a travel network beforehand. This obviously
   isn't what is used in Star Trek.
   
   ** A subspace field does reduce the inertial mass of an object within
   it, i.e. it appears lighter. But it does not lower the mass to zero,
   nor on its own would this effect allow FTL travel, as massless
   particles in our universe are still restricted to light speed. It
   turns out that this effect isn't even considered for warp travel,
   although it is used for impulse engines - less mass to push around.
   
   ....
   
   "Well, so how *does* warp work?"
   
   A powerful, asymmetric subspace field is established around the ship
   by the warp nacelles. The field is composed of nested layers, each
   pushing against the one beyond it. This drives the ship forward, at a
   super-luminal velocity.
   
   The nacelles are powered by a tuned plasma stream from the warp core
   Matter/Antimatter Reactor (M/AMR). Injectors feed the plasma into warp
   field coil segments at specific times, causing pulses to run the
   length of the nacelle, front to back. This peristaltic flow causes the
   push of the nested warp fields, and moves the ship forward.
   
   The warp field wraps around the ship in a two-lobed bubble, with the
   locus at Main Engineering (by design). The shape of the ship
   determines the efficiency of the field, and this explains why the
   Enterprise has such a sleek design.
   
   Meanwhile, the subspace field reduces the inertial mass of the ship,
   aiding in maneuvering. In fact, a small subspace field is kept around
   the ship at Impulse speeds, so the Impulse drives have less mass to
   push around. However, this is only a side effect and is NOT the
   mechanism used to allow FTL travel.
   
   ....
   
   "But, but... that's just what it does! How does it work!!!"
   
   Alas, there is no canonical answer. The "Relativity and FTL" FAQ
   offers a possibility, that the subspace field forces the ship to take
   on the reference frame of subspace itself, which is a special
   reference frame, circumventing the limits of Special Relativity.
   
   Unfortunately, this still isn't an explanation of how it works. The
   Tech Manual offers that each of the nested fields couple and decouple
   from each other at velocities near (but less than) c. It could be that
   the interaction of these fields, combined with the special frame
   subspace provides, causes the ship as a whole to travel at FTL speeds.
   
   If two nested fields have their outer edges "locked" into the special
   frame, while the inner edges travel at near-c relative to one another,
   this might cause the FTL effect, as an artifact of the special frame
   trick. This has the added support of being almost exactly what the
   Tech Manual describes, but it doesn't mention the special frame.
   
   Since this makes for boring drama, it's unlikely we'll ever "really
   know" how warp works in Star Trek.
   
   ....
   
   "So what stops the ship from accelerating and getting faster and
   faster?"
   
   Warp travel is non-Newtonian. Without a constant influx of energy, the
   subspace field will decay, and the ship will drop out of warp. In
   other words, you *must* continue to provide energy to maintain your
   warp velocity.
   
   Anything which travels at FTL speeds must use a warp field (or some
   other technology) to keep moving at those speeds.
   
   ....
   
   "What about 'continuum drag' ?"
   
   This was an idea proposed in the forgotten past to explain the above
   problem. To me, however, it seem that there is no need for such a
   force, since we are not dealing with Newtonian action/reaction drives,
   or force/acceleration systems.
   
   ....
   
   "So how'd the Saucer travel at warp speeds (in "Encounter at Farpoint"
   [TNG]) ?"
   
   The Tech Manual states that the subspace field generators coupled to
   the Impulse drive can be used to maintain a decaying subspace field
   for brief periods of time. The decay is inevitable, but it can be
   drawn out, to allow the saucer section to get out of danger.
   
   By field-saturating the nacelles (according to "Force of Nature"
   [TNG]), after a 6 second burst of maximum warp the Enterprise can
   "coast" at warp for 2 minutes 8 seconds before dropping out of warp.
   This is a form of "warp without warp drive", although the effect does
   not last very long.
   
   This is similar to how photon torpedoes can be used at warp speeds.
   They have small "warp sustainer" engines that allow them to cruise at
   their launch velocity (if launched while in warp) for brief periods.
   
   ....
   
   "This Warp 5 speed limit - what's up with that?"
   
   In "Force of Nature" [TNG] it is discovered that within the Hekaras
   Corridor, a region of space where warp travel is hindered except for a
   narrow path, the intense use of warp drives in an already sensitive
   area can, over time, cause subspace rifts to form, where subspace
   manifests itself in real space on a macroscopic scale. To alleviate
   the problem the Federation imposed a speed limit of Warp 5 on all
   starships which remained in place until at least the following year.
   In "The Pegasus" [TNG] Admiral Pressman gives Picard permission to
   travel faster than Warp 5 for the duration of the mission. In "Eye of
   the Beholder" [TNG] Picard is given permission to exceed the speed
   limit to delivery needed medical supplies.
   
   There is a general assumption is that engine modifications later
   solved the problem; there has been no further mention of the speed
   limit. This is fueled by rumors that Voyager's back story includes an
   updated warp core that is "environmentally friendly."
     _________________________________________________________________
   
2. Can We Talk?

   "What is subspace?"
   
   According to the Encyclopedia, it is a continuum with different laws
   than our own. That doesn't help much, considering you can makes fields
   of it in our universe.
   
   The best explanation I can come up with is that subspace is the
   "substrate" within which our universe exists. A subspace field is
   either a forced or natural intrusion of this domain into our own
   space, altering the behavior of things within our space-time. The
   "subspace barrier" is the albeit flimsy dividing line between the two
   continuums.
   
   Many things support this: in "Schisms" [TNG] creatures exist within a
   tertiary subspace manifold, a manifold being a term used to describe
   the form our own universe takes when viewed from a higher
   (theoretical) dimension. This is also called a deeper level of
   subspace; another universe which is connected to ours by subspace. In
   "Remember Me" [TNG] an entirely new universe was "spawned off" by a
   static warp bubble, and it was only accessible through subspace. The
   proto-universe in "Playing God" [DS9] was an intense subspace
   manifestation as well.
   
   Protrusions of subspace, such as in "Force of Nature" [TNG], "Vortex"
   [DS9], or the shockwave in ST6 do nasty things to our space-time. But
   subspace is also everywhere: sensors can detect subspace distortions
   caused by normal objects ("Descent" [TNG] ), communications work
   through subspace, and you can create subspace fields.
   
   Whenever our space-time is distorted or torn, or large amounts of
   energy released (explosions) there are subspace effects; wormholes and
   Transwarp Conduits are good examples where subspace plays a part in
   the effect, and the presumably material-based explosion of Praxis in
   Star Trek VI generated the subspace shockwave. Also, in "Caretaker"
   [VOY] Captain Janeway mentioned that the warp core of a starship would
   leave behind a resonance trace signature even if the ship was
   destroyed - this indicates that the constant matter/antimatter
   reaction in a starship's warp core generates subspace fields as well.
   
   Subspace fields (the kind that move starships around) are intentional
   manifestations of subspace in our space-time, caused by the controlled
   release of energy in a warp field coil. These fields have many
   effects, often depending on the intensity.
     * They leave subspace distortions behind ("Interface" [TNG], "The
       Maquis" [DS9]) even when they're gone.
     * An object placed in a subspace field has a reduced inertial mass
       relative to things outside the field. ( "Deja Q" [TNG])
     * A symmetrical field (a.k.a. "Warp bubble") with enough power can
       create an entirely new universe, but it may not be stable. (
       "Remember Me" [TNG])
     * An asymmetrical field can propel the generating ship at the speed
       of light; nested fields propel the ship at the speed of light
       relative to the field beyond. (TM)
     * A subspace Soliton wave can carry a ship at the propagation speed
       of the wave. ( "New Ground" [TNG])
     * A field can be embedded in an object ("Phantasms" [TNG])
     * Overlapping static warp shells can create an artificial subspace
       barrier in a localized region of space-time ("All Good Things..."
       [TNG])
       
   You can think of subspace as being the "medium" in which our
   space-time exists. The nearest parts (nearest being measured by the
   energy it takes to access them) are tightly coupled to our own
   universe, and can be thought of as being mapped to our space-time.
   This is what sensors generally read, and what the subspace fields of
   warp drive are interacting with. Slightly deeper parts can connect
   points in our universe to others. Wormholes and Transwarp Conduits are
   this sort of thing. Deeper still are the "untamed wilds" seen in
   "Force of Nature" [TNG]. And even further down are entirely separate
   universes, all held together by subspace.
   
   Subspace is not in an alternate reality, or "place", or space-time
   where things go - or at least, they don't go in the world of Star
   Trek. It is not entered by a starship at warp. A ship creates a
   subspace field which acts like another universe very tightly coupled
   to our own. If I was inside such a field and you were outside, we
   could conduct a conversation, shake hands, etc. But when the field is
   powerful enough (1000 millicochranes or more) and asymmetric, it is
   propulsive. Nested, decoupling fields magnify the effect considerably.
   But the ship still interacts with everything in our universe, and vice
   versa, as the level of subspace in which the field exists is so
   tightly coupled to our own that it appears no "fancier" than, say, a
   magnetic field, if you're looking closely at it.
   
   The weakest subspace fields do appear very similar to traditional
   fields, like magnetic fields. They have associated particles (see
   below), can be bound to objects ("Phantasms" [TNG]), can be used for
   transmissions (subspace radio), and generally unremarkable on their
   own other than as residue from more powerful effects.
   
   To keep Jason Hinson and Special Relativity happy, subspace doesn't
   need to follow the rules of relativity. Subspace might have a unique
   reference frame, and everything enclosed in a subspace field has the
   reference frame of subspace.
   
   ....
   
   "What are Tetryons and Verterons?"
   
   Subatomic particles mentioned in "Force of Nature" [TNG], and a number
   of other episodes. These seem to be some of the particles associated
   with subspace fields, just as photons are particles associated with
   electromagnetic fields.
   
   A verteron mine is used to disable the Flemming, a Ferengi ship, and
   the Enterprise in "Force of Nature". Verterons somehow manage to
   disable all devices which use subspace. Simplest explanation - they
   inhibit interactions with subspace, causing massive overloads and
   feedback which damages equipment.
   
   Picard suggests using them to mask a subspace resonance signature in
   "The Pegasus" [TNG], although Data points out that their artificial
   nature would preclude their use in that circumstance - masking a warp
   core for several hours.
   
   In "Caretaker" [VOY] , Voyager is scanned by a coherent tetryon beam
   before being transported across the galaxy.
   
   Verterons also infest the Wormhole near Bajor. In "Playing God" [DS9],
   a proto-universe intruding into our own c/o subspace was kept
   contained by an energy field, but verteron pockets in the Wormhole
   threatened to release it, destroying a Runabout and perhaps even the
   Wormhole. Verterons and subspace do not mix well.
   
   They also allow vessels to travel through the wormhole under impulse
   power ("In the Hands of the Prophets" [DS9]), and they appear in a
   display in Keiko's classroom on DS9 as the verteron membrane at the
   outer boundary of one side of the wormhole.
   
   Tetryons are particles which are stable in subspace but unstable in
   normal space. They appear to be the main mediating particles of
   subspace interactions with normal space. They were introduced in
   "Schisms" [TNG] but they've shown up in "Force of Nature" [TNG], and a
   tetryon field is the result of an metaphasic shield interaction in
   "Suspicions" [TNG].
   
   ....
   
   "What are 'warp particles'?"
   
   These were mentioned in "Parallax" [VOY], and used to open a subspace
   breach in an event horizon.
   
   The objection has been raised that warp particles have never been
   mentioned before. However, fields and particles are different ways of
   looking at the same thing. You can even consider soliton waves
   (cohesive waves which don't disperse) as being made up of a special
   soliton particle, or sound to be carried by a "phonon" particle, and
   it makes some calculations much easier than considering the wave or
   field classically.
   
   Quantum mechanics says that for things like photons, electrons, Higgs
   bosons, etc, the particle/wave/field distinction is pretty much
   meaningless. So "warp particles" could refer to the specific particles
   making up a warp field, or the entire class of particles which partake
   in subspace reactions (tetryons, verterons, etc).
   
   ....
   
   "What is subspace radio?"
   
   A means of sending a signal through subspace, so that it is not
   limited by the speed of light. This is done by creating a subspace
   distortion which propagates in much the same way as an electromagnetic
   field. A large amount of energy is needed to send a signal any large
   distance, and the more energy that is available, the deeper the signal
   can be forced into subspace.
   
   However, the signal dissipates over time, eventually releasing the
   energy that is left as an electromagnetic field. A more powerful
   initial signal can travel farther before this happens, but there is a
   limit; too much energy and the level of subspace that is used won't be
   tightly coupled to our own space-time any more, and the signal will
   probably go awry.
   
   The Federation (and presumably other Alpha and Beta Quadrant groups)
   use subspace relay networks to periodically boost subspace signal
   strengths. We see one of these in "Aquiel" [TNG] and Seven of Nine
   uses one to "phone home" in "Hunters" [VOY].
   
   ....
   
   "How fast is subspace radio?"
   
   Under ideal conditions, Warp 9.9997. (TNG TM, page 99) This is "sixty
   times faster than the fastest starship, either existing or predicted"
   - assuming traditional warp technology.
   
   The Encyclopedia says that with boosters and relays, Warp 9.9999 is
   the speed.
   
   ....
   
   "Why is it instantaneous in the movies?"
   
   No ad breaks.
   
   ....
   
   "What is a cochrane?"
   
   According to the Tech Manual, it's a measure of subspace distortion
   named after Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of warp drive. 1 cochrane is
   the distortion required to propel a ship at Warp 1, so field strengths
   are typically measured in millicochranes. It's shown up on TNG a
   couple of times amidst Geordi's technobabble.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
3. Faster Than Faster Than Light

   "What's TransWarp?"
   
   According to the Star Trek Chronology, the Excelsior was commissioned
   as NX-2000 in 2284 as a test bed for the new TransWarp technology. By
   2287, the TransWarp Development Project was deemed unsuccessful by
   Starfleet Command, and experiments were halted. "...The attempt to
   surpass the primary warp field efficiency barrier with the TransWarp
   Development Project in the early 2280s proved unsuccessful...." [TNG
   Tech Manual, p14]
   
   It seems as though the designers were trying to get around the energy
   limits traditional warp entailed, after passing Warp 9. But what what
   is it? Is Transwarp just any "faster than warp travel" or is it a
   specific technology or natural occurrence?
   
   In an IRC discussion with Boris S., Michael Okuda had this to say:
   
     We were never clear on transwarp as seen in ST:III, but "Threshold"
     makes it clear that transwarp is the mysterious Warp 10 alluded to
     in earlier episodes. We assume that it is some kind of "deeper
     subspace domain" just as subspace presumably coexists with our own
     time-space continuum. In other words, we're not really sure.
     
   If X is to transwarp as subspace is to warp, then perhaps X has the
   same relationship to subspace that subspace has to normal space?
   Trans-subspace? Is it turtles all the way down?
   
   "What are Transwarp Conduits?"
   
   The first Transwarp travel we saw onscreen was in "Descent" [TNG],
   which has the Borg using TransWarp Conduits. They're like custom-made
   wormholes that, once created, stay in place and can be used
   repeatedly. The conduits are used by broadcasting a tachyon signature
   which makes them open up and suck the ship in. They're beyond the
   ability of the Federation to create, but the Enterprise was able to
   use them once it recorded the tachyon signature the Borg were using.
   Transfer through the conduits is 20 times faster than the fastest warp
   available to Federation science (Warp 9.7 or 9.8), covering
   light-years in a matter of seconds rather than hours - just like a
   wormhole.
   
   Chris Franklin points out:
   
     [When] they followed Data's shuttle into the Conduit, Riker stated
     that they had covered 65 light years. I timed the trip with my stop
     watch and came up with about 9 seconds for their stay in the
     Conduit. This corresponds to about 227,911,132.04 times the speed
     of light.
     
   That's a heck of a lot faster than speeds quoted above for Warp 9.9,
   even, far more than 20 times, so something is awry. Mike Brown reminds
   me that any attempt to measure the duration of some event on screen is
   misleading - "television shows are always a compressed,
   highlights-only telling of a story that typically spans several days"
   - even if the action seems continuous, so take any hard-and-fast
   numbers with a grain of salt.
   
   Transwarp conduits appear to be tunnels through subspace (analogous to
   wormholes being tunnels through normal space?), bypassing the
   limitations of warp entirely.
   
   ....
   
   "Transwarp Frogs in Space?"
   
   And then there's "Threshold" [VOY] in which Voyager - a ship running
   low on supplies, with half its crew dead, stranded away from repair or
   research facilities, on the other side of the Galaxy from the
   Federation - manages to upgrade one of its never-ending supply of
   shuttles to make a Transwarp flight, something that has defied the
   best minds in the Federation for a century. There are a lot of things
   in this episode that many people wish had never seen the light of
   television, so we'll just focus on technobabble as it relates to warp
   travel.
   
   The [TECH] isn't too bad, however. Warp 10 is identified clearly as
   infinite speed, but the pesky Warp 10 barrier is mentioned.
   Presumably, this is meant as the barrier to going at an arbitrarily
   large speed without draining the antimatter tanks and/or dilithium
   crystals and/or other ship components. When the shuttle does achieve
   Transwarp, it registers as Warp 10 and is everywhere at once for a
   brief time. Now that is the way to travel! Sensors also lose track of
   the shuttle, indicating that things in Transwarp do not interact with
   things in normal space, unlike warp travel. (Thanks to Vikash R. Goel
   for pointing that out.)
   
   You can probably just ignore any parts of that episode that don't make
   any sense - various members of the Star Trek production crew have
   indicated that they plan to.
   
   ....
   
   "What about Transwarp drive?"
   
   Okay, now that the Star Trek writers are back to using this [TECH]
   buzzword there's no stopping them. Apparently, Transwarp can be used
   as a drive, just like warp drive. Given the way the name is used in
   various episodes, it appears to be a coherent technology exploiting a
   feature of the universe (a la warp) not just anything faster than
   warp. Civilizations a step above the Federation use it, and the basics
   are understood - at least by the Voyager crew - enough to detect its
   use and follow ships in Transwarp with their sensors.
   
   The Voth in "Distant Origin" [VOY] use Transwarp drives (not to
   mention cloaks) even on small ships. This portrayal of Transwarp looks
   much more like just "really fast warp" than the conduits. Visually,
   the star streaks around the ship look fatter and longer than in warp,
   but it's otherwise just the same, only better.
   
   And in "Scorpion" [VOY] Janeway refers multiple times to the Borg
   using Transwarp - which doesn't look at all conduitish.
   
   ....
   
   "What is Quantum SlipStream Drive?"
   
   Article by Jeremy H. Pace
   
   From Webster's Dictionary:
   
   Quantum
          2 a : any of the very small increments or parcels into which
          many forms of energy are subdivided
          b : any of the small subdivisions of a quantized physical
          magnitude (as magnetic moment)
          
   Slipstream
          1 : a stream of fluid (as air or water) driven aft by a
          propeller
          2 : an area of reduced air pressure and forward suction
          immediately behind a rapidly moving vehicle
          
   In "Hope and Fear" [VOY] an alien race [Borg species designation 116]
   who are furious with Janeway's solving the Borg's species 8472 problem
   designs a fake experimental Starfleet ship for Voyager to "find" in
   the Delta Quadrant. Called the Dauntless, this ship appears to be of
   the same size or larger in mass than the Voyager, but has only minimal
   living space. The special hyperdrive is not warp but a new method
   called "quantum slipstream". An accidental jumpstart and research into
   the drive gives the following explanation: quantum energies from a
   quantum reactor in Engineering are funneled to the main deflector
   array, which then opens up a "quantum slipstream" in "slipstream
   space", a non-subspace dimension where incredible velocities can be
   attained.
   
   Voyager uses the quantum slipstream (but not the Dauntless) to gain
   300 light-years on their journey in only a few minutes, maybe an hour.
   They are forced to stop using the quantum slipstream because of the
   incredible stresses it puts on Voyager's hull.
   
   In "Timeless" [VOY], it seems that Engineer Torres and the rest of the
   crew have managed to reverse-engineer the Dauntless' quantum reactor.
   Using Bedemite crystals and other exotic components, a quantum matrix
   is cobbled together that will allow for quantum slipstream travel.
   Ensign Harry Kim has doubts about the math, fears that are proven in
   holodeck simulation and in actual use. It turns out that Voyager runs
   into phase variant imbalances while using the quantum slipstream
   drive, making travel hazardous. After only a few minutes of travel,
   Voyager is forced to drop out of quantum slipstream space. The hybrid
   Torres drive is dismantled, and it is doubtful QSD will be seen again.
   
   Seven of Nine does mention in "Hope and Fear" [VOY] that the QSD is
   similar in principle to the Borg's transwarp conduits (as opposed to
   the Voth's transwarp drive), so research into one drive system might
   yield clues about the other. A faked message from Starfleet claims the
   ship made 65,000 light-years in three months, which might put the
   velocity at 2,628,000 times the speed of light. Clearly, the quantum
   slipstream drive is a candidate for "extra-galactic travel"
   classification.
   
   This is not warp, or a variation of warp drive. QSD appears to be
   based on a totally different principle than warp, Seven's statement
   notwithstanding. It is probable that due to the physics of QSD a ship
   would have to be made from scratch specifically for quantum
   slipstream. This is the difference between the species 116's Dauntless
   and Voyager's mimicry. In "Hope and Fear" [VOY] and "Timeless" [VOY]
   Commander Chakotay uses the phrase "alter our slipstream", implying
   that slipstream space is not free and open, but must be transversed in
   the form of grooves or pre-laid paths. This is seen as the cool blue
   "vortex" effect of QSD ships, as opposed to the sparkly lights of warp
   drive. Slipstreams appear to have only one setting: really, really,
   really (ludicrous) speed.
   
   You cannot "see" truespace while in slipstream. You must orient your
   ship in the proper three-dimensional axis position, then activate the
   drive and time how long you want to travel before dropping out. You do
   not have to worry about local stars and gravity wells, since you are
   not in truespace, unlike warp drive.
   
   It seems that a M/AMR is not needed for QSD ships. At least, none was
   seen in "Hope and Fear" [VOY].
   
   It is possible to "fall" out of the slipstream, much as ships "fall"
   out of warp when their warp layers collapse. (It seems every time the
   ship does this it is a bad thing - helm control and shields are
   offline due to quantum effects. Maybe species 116 overcame this side
   effect?)
   
   The theories from the [tech] newsgroup with the most weight are:
    1. Slipstream is "between" subspace and truespace, or "below" normal
       subspace and closer to the "untamed wilds" seen in "Force of
       Nature" [TNG], but not at the alternate universes level. The
       one-to-one mapping may hold true, but speed is faster. A quantum
       energy field similar to a warp bubble is projected ahead of the
       craft and into slipstream space. This field is continuously
       generated by the craft to maintain the quantum slipstream, which
       then pulls the craft along the path. Unlike the warp bubble, which
       can be likened to a zero-dimensional subspace manifestation (when
       seen from subspace, say), the slipstream field is a
       one-dimensional (linear) manifestation of subspace. Stresses build
       up because of the fluctuating nature of quantum-level energy,
       "quantum cavitation". Warp drive is not used, the ship moves by
       manipulating the quantum energy field and using their impulse
       engines. You don't obey warp rules, you go around them.
       Sources: [email-masked];
       [email-masked]; [email-masked];
       [email-masked]
    2. Slipstream is a special wormhole that tunnels into "slipstream
       space", which is not subspace. You essentially make a wormhole
       "mouth", enter the wormhole, and then hold open the "throat" while
       you travel. The quantum stresses of forcing the "throat" to stay
       expanded by energies from the main deflector dish and quantum
       matrix are repulsed by truespace, which wants to collapse the
       quantum field. This can shake the craft apart or force it to drop
       out of slipstream, which makes the exit wormhole "mouth". You have
       to fold space to make the wormhole, similar to the Cytherian-
       inspired Barclay drive in "The Nth Degree" [TNG]. Warp drive is
       not used, as this is an entirely different application of
       wormhole/subspace physics.
       Sources: Rick Sternbach, Senior Illustrator, Star Trek Voyager,
       Paramount Pictures (with modifications using modern-day wormhole
       math); [email-masked]
    3. Slipstream is a manufactured continuum, where the QSD increases
       the energy state of the local truespace. Then using the
       uncertainty of where a quanta is, combined with the Heisenberg
       compensators, the ship instantly "jumps" a distance through a
       giant application of quantum tunneling. A whole series of these
       jumps occur near instantaneously for the slipstream effect of the
       quantum drive. These jumps put quantum-level stresses on the
       craft, and add to the randomness effect of the QSD, causing the
       problems seen in the show.
       Sources: [email-masked]
       
   While theory #3 is obviously an early guess, and theory #2 has one of
   the ST:VOY team behind it, I myself prefer theory #1. With all respect
   to Mr. Sternbach, Star Trek has really bad wormholes physics (compared
   to modern-day cosmological math theories), and I'd like to avoid them
   at all costs. If the Borg's transwarp conduits are really similar to
   QSD as Seven stated, then theory #1 allows for decaying
   one-dimensional transwarp tunnels more stable than quantum
   slipstreams. It also explains why the Borg do not use QSD; transwarp
   is superior in the fact that it creates stable short-term conduits
   usable by other craft, cutting down on propulsion costs.
   
   The necessary components for using QSD are:
     * hull material necessary for withstanding the quantum-level
       stresses of the slipstream (what, no force shields or structural
       integrity fields to do this?)
     * a quantum matrix to produce the quantum field layer of slipstream
       space
     * a proper emitter of the field (deflector array)
     * sensors designed for slipstream space to adjust the field for
       phase variant imbalances and prevent premature collapse
     * some form of "braking" impulse drive to automatically hold your
       position and attitude when exiting slipstream space
       
   ....
   
   "Besides TransWarp and Quantum Slipstream, what other alternate forms
   of FTL travel have we seen?" 
   
   "Where No One Has Gone Before" [TNG]
          The Traveler propels the Enterprise to the Andromeda Galaxy,
          using more advanced warp equations.
          
   "The Nth Degree" [TNG]
          The Cytherians bring the Enterprise to the center of the galaxy
          via graviton mediated subspace folding.
          
   "New Ground" [TNG]
          Soliton waves are used to move a ship at warp speeds; "Warp
          without warp drive."
          
   "Contagion" [TNG], "To The Death" [DS9]
          The Iconians had portals to other places in the galaxy.
          
   "The Price" [TNG], ST:TMP, and DS9
          Wormholes, stable and unstable, connect remote parts of the
          galaxy. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture an unbalanced warp
          field causes an artificial wormhole to appear around the
          Enterprise.
          
   "Interface" [TNG]
          Geordi proposes an artificially created subspace "funnel"
          connecting points 300 light years apart.
          
   "Caretaker" [VOY]
          The Array is able to bring ships across the galaxy with some
          form of displacement wave, which looks very similar to the
          shockwave seen in Star Trek VI.
          
   "Prime Factors" [VOY]
          Space-folding technology can be used from the Sikarian planet
          to transport people up to 40,000 light years in an instant.
          
   "Explorers" [DS9]
          Sisko builds a solar sailing ship. When out sailing with Jake,
          a tachyon stream "catches" (ugh!) the sails and the ship is
          accelerated to the FTL speed of the tachyons. [Michael Welch]
          
   "Vis a Vis" [VOY]
          Co-axial warp drive. Apparently Federation scientists have been
          working on this for years. [D. Jacobs]
          
   In several episodes ("When the Bough Breaks" [TNG], "Tin Man" [TNG],
   "Q-Who" [TNG], "The Gift" [VOY]) some unknown technology or
   non-corporeal entity throws a starship tens, hundreds or thousands of
   light-years in mere seconds. In those cases there is rarely associated
   technobabble to hint at the underlying mechanism.
   
   (I'm missing lots, please let me know.)
     _________________________________________________________________
   
4. Nitty Gritty

   "FASA says the Enterprise-D uses UltraWarp, so nyeah!"
   
   (FASA is a game publisher that produces games loosely based on the
   original and animated Star Trek series, and briefly had a license to
   produce TNG-era games. See the Reading FAQ for more background
   information.)
   
   According to the TNG Tech Manual and Star Trek Chronology, the
   Enterprise-D uses the same old warp technology seen in TOS... just a
   much more advanced version.
   
   The only hint that TOS, the classic films, and TNG warp drives might
   be different is in their visual appearance on screen - in the classic
   films the Enterprise "blurs" while in warp. We *have* seen the TNG
   Enterprise do this - in "Force of Nature" [TNG], when it field-
   saturated its nacelles and ran at high warp for 6 seconds. Perhaps the
   film-era warp drives used this field saturation to generate higher
   speeds at lower energy, an effect which was surpassed by later
   developments and obsolete by TNG?
   
   ....
   
   "Some Starfleet ships use 3 nacelles!"
   
   In 2269, Starfleet attempted ships with 1 and 3 or more warp nacelles
   (TNG TM p65). As previously thought, 2 is the most efficient, but 4 is
   apparently useful in some cases (Constellation Class, Cheyenne Class).
   
   You need one nacelle to get anywhere, minimum. However, to yaw you
   need the nacelle to be split vertically (left and right halves) and to
   pitch you need the nacelle to be split horizontally (top and bottom
   halves). By using a split nacelle, you can induce slight timing
   differences, and cause the desired rotational effect (TM p65). This is
   a bit of a problem with one nacelle, since you end up with each warp
   coil divided into four segments. The TM indicates that matching
   *pairs* is difficult and very sensitive. Matching four, and providing
   four plasma injectors for each coil segment is probably difficult.
   
   Having more than two nacelles (either 3 or 4) allows you to use only a
   single segment per coil. But the warp field itself requires a gap to
   be released! (TM p65) (For anyone who doubts this, in "Eye of the
   Beholder" [TNG], we see TNG TM fig 5.3.3 reproduced on a large screen
   display with labels.)
   
   So you need to have the warp coils split in two anyway; if you use the
   top/bottom split to provide pitch control, and two nacelles to provide
   yaw control, you're set.
   
   On some designs, four nacelles may be the way to go; even with the
   required split, being able to tune the warp field discreetly may be
   enough of an advantage to warrant using four nacelles.
   
   ....
   
   "Ha! Three nacelle ships are canon!" ("All Good Things..." [TNG])
   
   Note that a number of things have changed by the time we see the
   U.S.S. Enterprise zipping around with three nacelles in that episode:
     * Warp 13 is a common cruising speed
     * Warp is no longer damaging space-time
     * New nacelle designs are being used on other ships
       
   My own explanation: new nacelle designs allow ships like the U.S.S.
   Pasteur to cruise at Warp 13 without frying space-time. Older ships,
   like the Enterprise, can be refitted with a third nacelle (and other
   wingdings and widgets) to clean their subspace emissions, so to speak.
   The third nacelle also allows a more powerful field to be generated,
   to drive the ship around at Warp 13, but this goes beyond TNG-era
   knowledge of subspace mechanics.
   
   So as far as strictly TNG-era ships are concerned, three nacelles are
   still worse than useless.
   
   ....
   
   "But the Ferengi/Borg/Klingon Bird of Prey don't have nacelles!"
   
   The Borg probably have subspace field generators (redundantly)
   scattered throughout their cube; they can then pulse them to generate
   *massive* overlapping, pulsating subspace fields in any direction.
   Same technique, more power, more flexibility.
   
   As for Ferengi, perhaps they use shielding. One thing is certain; the
   design of Ferengi ships allows for the ship to be contained in a
   single lobed warp field. The Enterprise requires a double lobe. Having
   "inboard" warp drives (like the Bird of Prey) gets you a fast ship for
   less power; likely, shielding can prevent the fields from frying the
   crew.
   
   A display screen in "Blood Oath" [DS9] may show the warp field of the
   Bird of Prey - again, a single lobe.
   
   Something to consider; most of the small ships (picture the raiding
   ship from "Gambit" [TNG]) don't have outboard drives. They probably
   make the single-lobe/shielding tradeoff to keep their ships small,
   fast and cheap. Ditto for shuttles with warp.
   
   ....
   
   "Why do ships always meet the same way up?"
   
   I know it's been proposed as a joke, but the idea that warp travel
   requires a universal "up" isn't as silly as you might think. We know
   that things in normal space affect subspace. What if the mass and
   orientation of the entire galaxy, which is nothing to sneeze at,
   affect subspace in such a way as to make travel more efficient if your
   warp fields are generated parallel to the plane of the galaxy?
   
   It's then more efficient for ships to align their warp drives with the
   plane of the galaxy, so flying "up" and "down" in the galactic plane
   (which is relatively thin, about 1/10th to 1/40th the diameter of the
   galaxy) would take more energy. This also explains the banking into
   turns and such.
   
   If you have galactic-up and galactic-down to choose from, why always
   the same way up? Probably a matter of protocol. Only "loser" races
   don't adhere to the standard. You'll also note that many small ships
   are vertically symmetrical, perhaps as their designers aren't quite up
   to snuff when it comes to designing warp drives.
   
   More support for this hypothesis: warp does really weird things at the
   edge and at the center of the galaxy. The Great Barrier of TOS fame
   ("Where No Man Has Gone Before" [TOS] and "By Any Other Name" [TOS])
   at the edge of the galaxy and the one near the center of the galaxy
   (if you believe in Star Trek V) were each considered impassable and
   gave the Enterprise a rough ride.
   
   Kirk made a number of references in "By Any Other Name" [TOS] about
   warp drive not working outside the galaxy, or something to that
   effect. While the Kelvans of Andromeda had got that licked, this does
   give the theory a little bit of support.
   
   Another note: the subspace shockwave seen in Star Trek VI was both
   planar and aligned with the direction of the Excelsior's vertical
   axis, and shockwaves within the subspace rift of "Force of Nature"
   [TNG] were also aligned coplanar to the ship.
   
   Pete Carr points out the following bit of dialog from "Genesis" [TNG]:
   
     Picard: Adjust the axial stabilizers [of the shuttle] to match the
     attitude and rotation rate of the Enterprise.
     
   A "universal up" would explain why this sort of thing doesn't happen
   all the time; only drifting ships like the Enterprise need help.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
5. Contributors:

          Eur van Andel, [email-masked]
          Mike Brown, [email-masked]
          Jeremy H. Pace, [email-masked]
          D. Jacobs, [email-masked]
          Daniel S. Barclay, [email-masked]
          Vikash R. Goel, [email-masked]
          Jason Hinson, [email-masked]
          Greg Berigan, [email-masked]
          A.J. Madison, [email-masked]
          Axis, [email-masked]
          Sharon Collicutt, [email-masked]
          Ges Seger, [email-masked]
          Michael M. Welch, [email-masked]
          Tom Bagwell
          Joseph Haller, [email-masked]
          Chris Franklin, [email-masked]
          Pete Carr, [email-masked]
          Taki Kogoma, [email-masked]
     _________________________________________________________________
   
6. Glossary:

   c
          Speed of Light ( ~= 3 * 10^8 m/s )
          
   FQSD
          Forced Quantum Singularity Drive. A miniature black hole used
          on Romulan Warbirds as a power source for their warp drives and
          other shipboard systems.
          
   FTL
          Faster Than Light (usually communication or travel)
          
   IPS
          Impulse Power System. The Newtonian STL drive used on board
          Federation starships.
          
   M/AMR
          Matter/Antimatter Reactor (also called the warp core). Power
          source used on Federation and Klingon starships. Romulans use a
          FQSD.
          
   Newtonian
          Term referring to action-reaction systems. For example,
          propulsion by means of pushing accelerated gas out the back of
          a ship, where the reaction causes the ship to move forward. The
          IPS is an example of this. Warp drive has no normal
          action/reaction component associated with it, and is called
          non-Newtonian.
          
   STL
          Slower Than Light (as opposed to FTL).
          
   tetryon
          Subspace particle unstable in normal space. Appears to be the
          primary particle associated with subspace fields and subspace
          interactions.
          
   verteron
          Particle associated with subspace interactions. Appears to
          inhibit the formation of subspace fields, damaging or rendering
          devices which use subspace useless.
          
   warp
          One method of FTL travel used in Star Trek, in which nested
          subspace fields create a propulsive effect.
          
   Warp
          "Unit" for warp factor, as opposed to the technology.
          
   warp coil
          One of many units in a warp drive; shaped like squashed
          horseshoes, and paired together to form rings, plasma is pumped
          into them and the exotic materials forming them create the warp
          effect.
          
   warp core
          See M/AMR.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
7. References:

   See the Reading List FAQ for more details on the reference volumes
   mentioned above and below.
   
   The question of "what is canon" has been argued for years in the Star
   Trek newsgroup hierarchy. In the realm of technical discussions, this
   can be refined to the question of "what evidence is factual, and what
   is apocryphal". These FAQs follow the currently dominant notion that
   "canon" is aired live-action material and nothing more, with the
   caveat that materials produced off-camera by the production crew are
   often (but not always) reliable predictors of the direction future
   canonical material will follow, and are therefore granted a special
   "quasi-canonical" status. Any other material falls into the realm of
   speculation - it may be perfectly well grounded speculation useful for
   building up technical arguments, or wild flights of fancy that have no
   rational basis.
   
   In addition, more recently presented information is considered to
   supercede old information, unless the weight of the evidence supports
   the original data. While this may seem highly biased and may be eyed
   with some skepticism as a form of Orwellian "newthink", it is a more
   useful predictor of what those directly responsible for the creation
   of the series are likely to include as canonical material in the
   future.
   
   For example, the excellent and groundbreaking Star Fleet Technical
   Manual, by Franz Joseph created in the 1970's was a very well thought
   out look at the technical world of Starfleet just slightly beyond what
   was seen in the original series. Unfortunately, and perhaps for purely
   arbitrary reasons, the future development of "canon" Star Trek
   diverged from this speculation. This in no way implies that there was
   anything wrong with that volume or any others, merely that due to
   later "evidence", it can no longer be regarded as an authoritative
   overview of Trek technology. On the other hand, the author performed a
   lot of research to create it, and therefore its speculation should not
   be dismissed out of hand.
   
   That said, we are dealing with a universe in the process of being
   created by scores of (usually) non-technical people, aiming to provide
   weekly entertainment for a mass audience. There are many
   inconsistencies even amid the canonical material, and often times the
   wildest speculation on the newsgroup makes more sense than what we see
   in the episodes.
   
   Canonical material:
     * Star Trek: Voyager [VOY]
     * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine [DS9]
     * Star Trek: The Next Generation [TNG]
     * Star Trek feature films
     * Classic Star Trek [TOS]
       
   Quasi-canonical material:
     * The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future
     * Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future
     * Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual
     * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual
     * The Making of Star Trek
     * Other "behind the scenes" information from the production crew,
       including:
          + Newsgroup postings
          + Convention presentations
          + Interviews
          + Email conversations
       
   Highly regarded, but non-canonical material:
     * Star Trek: The Animated Series [TAS]
     * Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise
     * Star Fleet Technical Manual
     * Starlog's Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Journal
     * Other "reference" guides
     * Novels, incl. novelizations of films and episodes
     * Blueprints, drawings, photographs, models, etc.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   Joshua Bell, [email-masked]