Dilithium
Dilithium, (also known as radan) is an element. A member of the hypersonic series, mostly occurring as crystalline mineral. It was used in the warp drive systems of many starships. Dilithium regulated the matter/antimatter reaction in a ship's warp core because of its ability to be rendered porous to light-element antimatter when exposed to high temperatures and pressures. It controls the amount of power generated in the reaction chamber, channeling the energy released by mutual annihilation into a stream of electro-plasma.
Dilithium could be found on only a few planets in the galaxy, and was therefore a rare and valuable substance. Notable sources of dilithium included Coridan and Elas in the Federation, as well as Rura Penthe in the Klingon Empire and Remus in the Romulan Star Empire. It could also be found on Troyius, where it was known as radan, and had a variety of different uses, including jewelry.
Under certain rare circumstances, dilithium deposits could form in such a way that the crystals grow into perfectly aligned lattices. If enough dilithium is present, it began to form "generator strata". A piezoelectric effect occurred when the crystals took the radiant heat of the planet and converted it into mechanical energy.
This mechanical energy could increase tectonic stresses in a planet's crust to the point where the planet literally tore itself apart. This phenomenon was responsible for the destruction of a number of planets in the Selcundi Drema sector.
One method of detecting the potential presence of dilithium deposits during a geological survey was by studying UV (ultraviolet light) absorption patterns. Certain characteristic patterns tended to indicate the presence of traker deposits, which were commonly formed along with the dilithium ore. An ico-spectrogram could then be run to confirm the ore's presence.
Constitution class starships continued to use crystallized lithium until the mid-2260s, before switching to dilithium. Housed in a dilithium crystal converter assembly, the crystals were used as a power source as well as a regulator. Dependency on that power meant the starships risked losing the ability to maintain an orbit, let alone use of their warp drive, when a number of dilithium crystals were drained of their power or became fused in their assembly. In some circumstances, crystals could be re-amplified to provide continued service, rather than replaced.
One of the reasons why dilithium was so valuable before the late 23rd century was because dilithium gradually decrystalizes during use, and there existed no practical means of inducing recrystallization. Decrystalizing dilithium resulted in certain byproducts, including illium-629 and, when used in warp cores, trilithium resin.
During a time travel mission to 1986, Spock and Montgomery Scott developed a method of recrystallizing dilithium through exposure to gamma radiation.
By the 2360s, it was possible to recrystallize dilithium while it was still enclosed in the warp core's dilithium articulation frame using a theta-matrix compositor.
