In the fictional
Star Trek universe,
transporters are a form of
transportation. These are called Transmat Devices. As their name suggests they transmit or transport matter. First a molecular imaging scanner in the overhead transport pad records each subject's molecular pattern at the quantum level. Next Primary energizing coils create the annular confinement beam (ACB). The ACB projects a cylindrical force field around the subject and then the next step is initiated. This uses atomic cohesion force field dissonators to separate the molecules of the subject's. These particles are then phased together with a communication that designates the method of reassembling at the end of the transport (this is usually only required if the subject is being received and reassembled by another transporter device.) this is processed by the Phase transition coils at the base of the transporter pad. This stream of matter and the pattern are held in the Pattern Buffer, this is a tank which can hold a highly complex quantum pattern of a subject for up to 420 seconds before the pattern starts to degrade irreparably. The transport emission array then projects a minute ACB beam at the designated co-ordinates usually on a planet. A booster remote reassembling device, highly similar to the Phase transition coils, called an atomic cohesion initiator uses the pattern to reassemble the molecules at the correct location and to bind them together again. While stored in the transporter buffer a persons molecular form can be edited by using the quantum pattern to recognise what is in the buffer. Weapons, bacteria, foreign matter and other things can be deleted or in the case of weapons materialised first and removed before assembling the person.
The process rarely takes longer than 5 to 10 seconds. The average transporter device has an approximate range of 40000 kilometres. Emergency transporters have a range of approximately 15000 kilometres. The range and time required for a transport depends on such variables as the actual size of the payload and the substances contained in the transport.
Bio scanners can determine the subject’s species. Personal combadges (communications badge) are usually used as a targeting lock to identify a person and to acquire the transporter co-ordinates.
Transporters can also malfunction. If the quantum-reassembling pattern is interfered with, not received or incomplete a object or person may be an irreparable group of molecules. A Transporter beam can be intercepted but this requires an immense amount of accuracy.
Transporters have several unintentional uses,
- The biofilters in the molecular buffer eliminate unwanted germs and viruses from the transported.
- Transporter technology accidentally created a perfect copy (down to the memories) of Commander William Riker.
- A rare Delta Quadrant flower merges all organisms transported with it into a single organism.
- Montgomery Scott[?] jury-rigged a transporter to keep him alive after his ship crashed for fifty years by not reassembling his molecules until he was rescued.
Because transporters have no equivalent in real science, there is nothing to stop the writers from claiming that any new condition can affect the transporters in unforseen ways.
See also: Physics and Star Trek, teleportation.