Tachyon
A tachyon is a subatomic particle that naturally exists at faster-than-light velocities.
It can often be associated with time travel, or produced as a byproduct of a temporal distortion.
Tachyons exist both naturally, as in the tachyon eddies (found in the Bajoran system), or can be produced artificially, such as in tachyon detection grids and temporal transponders.
They can also exist as the byproducts of the use of many technologies, such as cloaking devices and transporters.
Cloaked ships are known to produce detectable tachyon emissions.
As of 2379, the Remans were able to equip the Reman Warbird Scimitar with a cloak which did not have this limitation, though at great coast to power and ship-wide systems in general.
Tachyons can be utilized in a number of ways, including as scans, offensive weapons, and even as a means of communication.
Practical Uses:
- Naturally-existing tachyon eddies in the Bajoran system helped propel ancient Bajoran lightships to warp velocities.
- In 2367, Captain Jean-Luc Picard instituted a tachyon detection grid on the Klingon-Romulan border in order to prevent any cloaked Romulan ships from crossing the border undetected.
- As of 2375, the Dominion began employing long-range tachyon scanners to detect cloaked vessels.
