Substances and Particles L-R

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Legend

Chemical element or isotope	Elementary particle
Chemical compound or alloy	Energy field or radiation
Real-world reference	Other concept

Index

A

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B

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C

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D

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E

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F

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G

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H

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I

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J

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K

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L

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M

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N

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O

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P

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Q

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R

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S

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T

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U

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V

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W

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X

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Y

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Z

Credits

This document was compiled by Bernd Schneider for Ex Astris Scientia. It is reproduced here with his kind permission.

L

Ladarium

Naturally occuring. Ore, used by Cardassians in the construction of warp drives.

• DS9: "Tribunal" - A Cardassian agent who took over the identity of Raymond Boone ran a ladarium mine on Volon III.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Laser

Artificially generated by crew. Laser stands for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation".
Today, the laser is a commonly known and in many ways used bit of technology.

• "The Cage" - The crew of the Enterprise commanded by Captain Piker used laser weapons in this times, instead of phasers like in in the Kirk era.
• TNG: "Starship Mine" - Picard here uses a laser welder in order to divert and confuse some terrorists, who are holding him as a hostage in the deserted Enterprise.

Submitted by Bird of Prey

Latinum

Origin unknown. A non-replicatable material, almost definitely an element, typically pressed into bars, like gold.

• DS9: countless episodes - The Ferengi and other non-Federation worlds use bars of gold-pressed latinum as their currency.
• DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn" - Latinum, at room temperature, is a metallic fluid.

Lepton

Naturally occuring. Particle whose "activity" indicates a wormhole shift.
In real life, leptons are the "light" class of elementary particles. In the episode, it would have rather made sense if a specific particle had allowed the detection of the wormhole movement.

• TNG: "The Price" - Geordi's visor detected the "activity".

Lexorin

Artificially generated by crew. A drug.

• "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" - Appears to be injected into the hand.
  I don't really know what it's used for, but Kirk gave it to McCoy to make him "well enough to travel" when he was suffering from a Vulcan mind-meld in ST III.

Submitted by Chad Eaton

Lithium

Naturally occuring. Lithium was used in old warp drive systems before the application of Dilthium became more common.
Lithium is a real-world substance and there's nothing that points to the assumption that it could be penetrated by antimatter in the same way it happens to dilithium (i.e. without getting its atoms anihilated) However, the use of lithium in M/ARAs prior to TOS is contradicted by ENT (maybe it's still used in old warp-3 freighters).

• TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" - The lithium splitting facility on Delta Vega.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Lucrovexitrin

Origin unknown. Highly toxic; alters molecular structure when it comes in contact with glass. Stable in a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere.

• TNG: "Hollow Pursuits" - Ruled out by Wesley Crusher as being the cause of the injectors failing, because "selgnineam and lucrovexitrin are highly toxic."

M

Magnaton

Artificially generated by crew or by aliens.
In real life, a magn*e*ton represents the magnetic dipole moment of a particle. In short, it's a measurement, not a particle. A magnaton must obviously be something else.

• VOY: "Cathexis" - Used to scan the ship for the disembodied aliens and crew.
• DS9: "Hippocratic Oath" - Picked up by O'Brien while in the Gamma quadrant, leading to the discovery of a crashed Jem'Hadar ship.

Mercassium

Artificially generated by crew. Synthetic alloy, needed in the construction of shield systems, only used by the Federation.
Supplement by Bernd: Strangely, this sounds like a word made by combining mercury and potassium.

• DS9: "The Maquis, part I" - Traces of mercassium were found in the debris of the Bok'Nor.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Merculite

Artificially generated by aliens. An explosive material used in out-of-date rockets which are no match for Federation weaponry.

• TNG: "Heart of Glory" - The Klingons who had stolen the ship Batris used merculite rockets to destroy a pursuing Klingon ship.
• TNG: "Suddenly Human" - Captain Endar threatened to use them against the Enterprise if Picard did not release his adopted son, Jono. Riker remarked, "shades of Gulliver".

Mercurium isochromat

Origin unknown. Used in drive systems.
Supplement be Bernd: Equally colored mercury?

• VOY: "Counterpoint" - Janeway offered Torat enough mercurium isochromat to supply his ship with energy for a whole year.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Merfadon

Artificially generated by aliens. Sedative, has no effect on patients who took makara herbs.

• DS9: "The Darkness and the Light" - Silarin Prin injected Merfadon into Kira.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Meson

Naturally occuring. Particle "activity" increased prior to the wormhole reappearing and shifting its position.

• TNG: "The Price" - Geordi's visor detected the "activity".

Metaphasic particles

Naturally occuring. True nature uncertain.

• "Star Trek Insurrection" - Natural phenomenon on the Ba'ku homeworld, causing rejevenation and prolonged life.
  It remains a mystery how these particles are related to the metaphasic shield, although they have to be - scientific language isn't that lackadaisical.

Metaphasic shield

Artificially generated by crew. A subspace technology which involves generating metaphasic properties.

• TNG: "Suspicions" - Results in a low intensity, non-propulsive subspace field similar to a warp field. Developed by Ferengi scientist Dr. Reygar to encapsulate a vessel from the extreme radiation and heat generated by stars. This allowed the Shuttlecraft Justman to enter a star's corona.
• TNG: "Descent, part II" - Allowed the Enterprise to enter the corona of a star to save the damaged ship from be destroyed by a Borg ship.

Metorapan

Artificially generated by crew. A painkiller.

• TNG: "The First Duty" - Wesley Crusher is allergic to metorapan treatments, so he is treated with a Bicaridine substitute instead.

Metrazene

Artificially generated by crew. A drug.

• TNG: "The Host" - Cardiac antiarrhythmic medication.

Metreon gas

Naturally occuring. Inflammable gas. High levels of exposure can infect a humanoid with metremia, a blood disease that causes its victims' cells to undergo fission.

• VOY: "Jetrel" - The Haakonians used a "metreon cascade" to conquer Rinax, a Talaxian moon.
  In this episode it may still have been supposed to be a particle.
• VOY: "Think Tank" - The Hazari trapped Voyager in a metreon gas cloud, where neither warp nor impulse drive works, therefore Janeway set the gas on fire to blow Voyager out of the nebula.
  Quite risky.
• "Star Trek Insurrection" - The Briar patch included instable metreon gas bubbles, which were part of the material collected with the Bussard ramscoops during the "Riker Maneuver". Its release wreaked havoc on the Son'a battleships.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Mizinite

Origin unknown. Mizinite is extremely useful in starship construction

• DS9: "Statistical Probabilities" - The mizinite deposits on Holna Four alone could have kept the Dominion shipyards running for years.

Submitted by Terry Franchetti

Monotanium

Origin unknown. Monotanium is an extremely strong metal used in the construction of starship hulls.
The "mono" prefix may refer to the fact that it may be thinner, yet stronger than Tritanium.

• VOY: "Hunters" - The Hirogen ships are said to have monotanium hull plating, making them more impervious to weapons fire and scattering transporter targeting beams.
  This is one of the defining characteristics of a Hirogen vessel. The hirogen seem to be the only ones to harness this metal for hulls.
• VOY: "Prey" - The Hirogen ships are said to have monotanium hull plating, making them more impervious to weapons fire.
  It is refered to as an "armor plating," meaning that the ship's entire hull may not be completely composed of monotanium, but rather the bulk of the ship and key areas.

Submitted by Derek Seewald

Muon

Naturally occuring. A particle.
Short-lived subatomic particle classified as a lepton.

• TNG: "The Next Phase" - The power feed to the Romulan vessel was altered by the Romulans to build up in the Enterprise's engine core. This would lead to a catastrophic explosion that would destroy the Enterprise.
• DS9: "Armageddon Game" - Muon frequencies were used to destroy the Kellerun Harvesters. Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Murinite

Naturally occuring. Assumed naturally occuring (like Boridium) seeing as how it was used by the Hill People of the Argus River region of Rigel II. Could be a chemical compound (i.e. native stone).

• TOS: "Wolf in the Fold" - The handle of the knife used by the entity was composed of this.

Submitted by Scott Gray

N

Nadion

Artificially generated by crew. The TNG Technical Manual identifies "nadion" particles as the output produced by phasers.

• TNG: "The Mind's Eye" - Particle pulse (rapid nadion pulse) gauged by Data and LaForge while verifying origin of a Type-III phaser rifle, later determined to be Romulan in origin.
• DS9: "Extreme Measures" - Dr. Bashir suggests using nadion bursts to slow the progress of Odo's disease. Submitted by Matt Anderson
• VOY: "Time and Again - Janeway closes a temporal rift artifically generated by the crew by firing her phaser at it. Torres identifies the "nadion particle feedback" as the reason why the fissure closing.

Neodilithium (unconfirmed)

Naturally occuring. Seems to be a different form of dilithium.

• VOY: "Threshold" - It was used to take Tom Paris to warp ten, after which he turned into a giant salamander.
  Since this was obviously supposed to be an "improved" atom of dilithium, this would fit well with the other nonsense of the episode. To save a bit of plausibility, it may be an isotope, but much better simply a special form of crystal arrangement (that relates to dilithium in a similar fashion as diamond to graphite).

Neurocine gas

Artificially generated by aliens. Lethal, used by the Cardassians to end uprisings.
The name suggests that it could be some kind of nerve gas

• DS9: "Civil Defense" - The gas was released into DS9's atmosphere as part of the Cardassian anti-revolt program.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Neurogenic field/radiation

Naturally occuring. A resident field that forms by a person's brain as part of the thought process. Each person's pattern varies depending on their current thought.

• DS9: "Life Support" - Neurogenic radiation with a level of 70 millivolts was employed by Dr. Bashir in the attempt to stimulate Vedek Bareil's brain activity.
• VOY: "Waking Moments" - Aliens formed a "collective unconciousness" by amplifying their neurogenic field and that of the Voyager crew while they were sleeping. Seven of Nine stated that their collective dream was like the Borg consciousness. This was evident to the Doctor in the waking world as every crew member's neurogenic field pattern was identical.

Neuropeptide

Naturally occuring. Neuropeptides are chemical substances in the brain.
Peptides are, as far as I know, indeed part of our organic system.

• VOY: "Unity" - The heightened neuropeptide levels also heightened Chakotay's telepathic receptivity. So a group of some ex-Borg drones was still able to control his mind, even after their link to Chakotay via neural transceiver had been disconnected.

Submitted by Fabian W.

Neurozine gas

Artificially generated by crew. Anesthetic gas. Fatal if present in the air (similar to anesthezine).
The fact that it is used by starfleet doctors (at least holographic ones) points out that this gas should not be the same as the lethal Cardassian "neurocine". otherwise its application would have been highly ethically questionable.

• VOY: "Message in a Bottle" - the EMH and the Mark- 2 EMH released neurozine gas into the air of the USS Prometheus NX-59650 in order to knock down the Romulan intruders.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Neutrino

Artificially generated by crew. A particle involved in several different processes.
Real particle with no charge, until recently thought to have no mass.

• TNG: "A Matter of Honor" - Used to destroy hull-eating space bacteria endangering the Enterprise and Klingon ship with Riker on board.
• TNG: "The Enemy" - A neutrino emitter was used by Geordi and his Romulan colleague as a distress beacon on a planet with an atmosphere impervious to about anything else. A standard Starfleet tricorder is not equipped to detect neutrinos.
• TNG: "The Game" - Wesley had to calibrate a sensing device that used neutrinos.
• DS9: countless episodes - Increased neutrino emissions indicate that the Bajoran Wormhole is about to open.
• DS9: "Rivals" - Martus Mazur used a device that turned the spin of neutrinos to a preferred direction, thereby changing probabilities.
• DS9: "For the Uniform" - Eddington used a probe to create false neutrino readings of a warp core.

Neutron

Naturally occuring. A particle.
Neutrons are neutral particles which, along with protons, are constituents of atomic nuclei. Neutrons not contained within a nucleus have a half-life of about 15 minutes.

• "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country" - The improved Bird-of-Prey gave off a surge of neutron radiation just before it fired a photon torpedo.
• TNG: "The Drumhead" - Neutron fatigue was found to be the actual reason for the explosion in main engineering, which was previously believed to be sabotage.
• VOY: "Scorpion, part I" - A schematic shows a "multikinetic neutronic mine". This appears to be an explosive device emitting neutron radiation.

Neutronium

Naturally occuring or artifically generated by aliens. A very dense and strong material.
Matter composed of densely packed neutrons, held together by gravity. The material neutron stars are made of.

• TOS: "The Doomsday Machine" - The Doomsday Machine's hull was composed of neutronium.
  If it were pure neutronium, it would have been far too massive to ever be able to move.
• TNG: "Relics" - The outer hull of the Dyson sphere was made of neutronium.
• DS9: "To the Death" - The inner shell of the building with the Iconian gateway was made of neutronium.

Nitrium

Naturally occuring. A metal used in an important alloy commonly found in starships.

• TNG: "The Cost of Living" - The alloy is used for computers, replicators, stabilizers, ventilators, power transfer conduits, dilithium chamber walls and life support systems. Nitrium parasites started feeding on the ship's systems after the Enterprise destoyed their nitrium-rich asteroid. The parasites digested much of the Enterprise's nitrium into slime before Data lured them back onto the asteroids of the Peloris Field.

Noranium

Naturally occuring. A metal. The melting point of one alloy with this metal is 2014°F.

• TNG: "The Vengeance Factor" - The away team fired their phasers into the noranium alloy, causing a smoke screen.

Nucleogenic particle

Naturally occuring. Dust or other particles which attract water vapor, causing rain or other precipitation to form.

• VOY: "The Caretaker" - The Ocampa homeworld's atmosphere didn't have any, which accounted for its desolate condition.

Nucleonic particle

Artificially generated by crew. Produced by Federation replicators.
Could refer to the nucleus of atoms.

• VOY: "State of Flux" - Used to detect damage to a Kazon ship at long range. The damage was later found to have been produced when a stolen Federation replicator exploded.

Nucleonic radiation

Artificially generated by aliens. Exact nature unknown.
It sounds like it is composed of nuclei, although it does have some biochemical effect.

• TNG: "The Inner Light" - The Kataan probe generated a low-level nucleonic beam, rendering Picard unconscious.

O

Omega

Artificially generated by aliens. A highly unstable molecule that can serve as a virtually inexhaustable power source.

• VOY: "The Omega Directive" -  The drawback of omega is is that it reacts violently with subspace, making warp travel in the affected area impossible. Thus, after failed Federation experiments, it is ordered that it be destroyed by any Starfleet ship that encounters it, even at the expense of abandoning the Prime Directive. It is thought that they were once naturally occuring, and may have supplied the energy to initiate the Big Bang. It is also known by the Borg as Particle 010 and is kind of worshipped by them as "perfection". As Voyager cruises along, the Omega symbol is suddenly displayed on all monitors as the computer detects omega, and tells Janeway that the Omega Directive is now in effect. Some aliens are messing with omega and their experiment has already destroyed subspace in their local system. Voyager then swoops in to destroy omega. Seven builds a containment unit to temporarily hold omega, and just before it is destroyed, manages to do the impossible, and stabilizes it.
  It is weird that a molecule is supposed to be the most powerful power source to exist. So far it was chemical reaction, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, matter/antimatter reaction and (at least in the Star Trek Universe) zero point energy, in ascending order. The designation "molecule" suggests that something like a chemical reaction is involved, but this is obviously not possible. Considering that there are other materials like dilithium or verterium cortenide with miraculous properties, this might apply to Omega likewise. The problem is where the energy supposed to be released comes from. If Omega is "synthesized" as mentioned in the episode, one would probably have to put the same amount of energy into the synthesis than can be obtained later. This can hardly be the solution of energy problems.

Omicron particle

Naturally occuring. May be used as a power source.

• DS9: "Shadowplay" - Emitted by holographic generator. The projections/people were "made of" them.
• VOY: "The Cloud" - Thought to be a substitute for antimatter for the warp drives, as well as fuel for the replicators./li>
• VOY: "Nemesis" - Chakotay was conducting a survey mission to a planet with a high concentration of omicron particles in the atmosphere when his shuttle came under attack.

P

Paralithium

Origin unknown. Used to power Akritirian ion-based drive systems, can be (as well as dilithium) converted to trilithium.
Si-lithium, di-lithium, tri-lithium, para-lithium and even Lithium itself, and none of these substances has apparently anything to do with the real-world element lithium. It's rather related to all of the above mentioned lithium-variants but silithium.

• VOY: "The Chute" - Terrorists used it to synthesize trilithium for a bomb.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Particle signature

Naturally occuring. A characteristic unique to each universe.

• TNG: "Parallels" - Used to prove that Worf was indeed in an alternate universe and find the correct universe to return him to.

Pergium

Naturally occuring. Used to regenerate enviromental controls filters.

• TOS: "Devil in the Dark" - The crew beams down to a planet that mines pergium for the Federation, to investigate the recent deaths of several pergium miners.
• VOY: "Fair Trade" - Janeway listed pergium as one of the needs that Voyager was to barter for. Submitted with other requests to the space station's manager.
• DS9: "Prodigal Daughter" - the Tigan family runs a pergium mine on New Sydney. Submitted byAlex Hoffmann

Phospholipid fibers (unconfirmed)

Naturally occuring. An organic compound.
In real life, phospholipids are fatty acids with phosphate groups attached. They are small and naturally occur only as liposomes and bilayer sheets, and as monolayer spheres called micelles. But they never form "fibers." Phospholipid bilayers are what cell membranes are mostly made of.

• VOY: "The Cloud" - Torres gave this as a possible identification for the blue material found on the hull.

Photonic energy

Naturally occuring. Emitted from the surface of a protostar.
A fancy name for light.

• VOY: "Heroes and Demons" - The life form that used the holodeck to kidnap crew members was made up of photonic energy.
  Clearly the photonic beings, like any "energy lifeform" in Star Trek, have a severe problem, because the photons of which they are composed only exist while they are moving at light speed.
• VOY: "Bride of Chaotica" - The beings in the episode were made of photonic energy too.

Plasma

Naturally occuring or artificially generated by crew or aliens. Occurs in several gaseous phenomena. Used to distribute power on starships.
A very hot, ionized gas. The atoms in plasma have enough kinetic energy that the electrons are torn from their nuclei, ionizing the gas.

• TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT: countless episodes - The electroplasma system (EPS) distributes power throughout the ship. Warp plasma is used to power the warp coils in the nacelles. Plasma is vented if the nacelles are damaged or purposely if the nacelles would otherwise overheat.  
• "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country" - Plasma emissions were used to detect a cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey.

Polaric ion

Artificially generated by aliens. Used as a power generation system.

• VOY: "Time and Again" - Used as a very unstable power generation system which the Voyager crew has to prevent from exploding.

Polaron

Artificially generated by crew. A particle with various exotic properties.
In real-world condensed matter physics, a polaron is a type of mobile crystal defect consisting of an electron coupled to an induced lattice polarization. But this polaron, like the hole familar from semiconductors, is only a quasi-particle that could be responsible for hardly any of the effects observed in Star Trek.

• DS9: "The Jem'Hadar" - A phased polaron beam was used by the Jem'Hadar to penetrate the shields of the USS Odyssey.
• DS9: "Apocalypse Rising" - Four polaron emitters were supplied to Capt. Sisko and his strike force for use while infiltrating Klingon Military Headquarters at Tiger Claw to expose the Dominion changeling believed to be masquerading as a senior official in the Klingon government (i.e., Chancellor Gowron). When activated in concert, the emitters would cover 13000m³ and would force a changeling to revert to a gelatinous state. A changeling impersonating General Martok was later discovered to be the Dominion operative.
• VOY: "State of Flux" - Used to detect a hidden Kazon ship.
• VOY: "Non Sequitur" - Harry Kim scanned the time stream with polarons, thus partially causing a distortion of the space-time continuum.
• VOY: "The Swarm" - Used by the swarm to interconnect their ships.
• VOY: "Displaced" - Torres detected a buildup of polaron particles a few seconds before a member of the crew disappeared. The particles were caused by the Nyrian translocation device.

Polyduranide

Artificially generated by crew. Structural material.

• TNG Technical Manual - Forms part of the skeletal structure of the Enterprise-D.
  And, one assumes, of most Federation starships.

Submitted by Michael Warren

Positron

Naturally occuring. A pacrticel.
Real antimatter version of an electron.

• TNG: various episodes - Data's brain is "positronic..
  The term was originally used in the context of a robot's brain by Isaac Asimov, who (according to his essay, Cybernetic Organism) used it because the then newly-discovered positron was similar to an electron, but "positronic" sounded more exotic than "electronic." In other words, Data's brain is not really composed of antimatter.
• TNG: "Datalore" - The away team mentions that Dr. Soong wanted to make Asimov's dream of a positronic brain a reality. Lore later confirms that this is the nature of his brain and Data's.
• TNG: "The Nth Degree" - When normal scans prove ineffective against the alien probe, Geordi tells Barclay to "try a positron scan."
• DS9: "Life Support" - A "positronic" implant is used to prolong Vedek Bareil's life.

Preanimate matter

Naturally occuring. Matter that is very close to being classified as a form of life, but doesn't quite make the grade.

• "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan "- Chekov said this might be responsible for causing an energy flux in one dyno-scanner.

Promethean quartz

Naturally occuring. Valuable mineral that glows with an internal light.

• DS9: "Q-Less" - Vash discovered a similar geode resembling Promethean quartz in the Gamma Quadrant and nearly destroyed the station with a graviton field.

Protomatter

Origin unknown. An unstable form of matter used by David Marcus as a shortcut in the construction of the Genesis Device.

• "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" - Because of the instability of protomatter, the Genesis Planet began to age geologically at an accelerated rate. The resurrected Spock-child also began to age very rapidly, allowing Spock to regain his katra at about the same age as he was when he "died".
• DS9: "Second Sight" - Protomatter was used in the probe to re-ignite a star.
• DS9: "The Maquis, part I" - Protomatter was used in the device that destroyed the Cardassian freighter Bok'Nor.
• DS9: "By Inferno's Light" - Protomatter was used in the device supposed to blow up the Bajoran central star.

Proton

Naturally occuring. An elemenatry particle.
Positively charged baryon with a virtually infinite life span. Protons occur in all atomic nuclei.

• VOY: "Death Wish" - Voyager was "attacked by protons" when Q(uinn) sent the ship back in time, not long after the Big Bang, to evade pursuing Q. Capt. Janeway suggested emitting negative ions to help repel the protons.

Protoplasm

Naturally occuring. An organic material.
Makes up the interior of cells in living matter.

• TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome" - The giant amoeba had an interior consisting of protoplasm.

Psilocsynine

Naturally occuring. A neurotransmitter involved in telepathy.

• TNG: "Eye of the Beholder" - Deanna Troi's levels of psilosynine were very high after having an empthically induced hallucination.
• TNG: "Dark Page" - Lwaxana Troi's levels of psilosynine were very high after her work with the Cairn.

Pulse compression wave

Artificially generated by crew. Used to increase the power of a phaser blast.

• DS9: "Emissary" - Used to increase the power of DS9's phasers against Gul Jasad's fleet.

Pyroclastics

Naturally occuring. Rock formed by volcanic activity.
A real-life geological term.

• VOY: "Macrocosm" - The Doctor beamed down to the Garan mining colony to investgate the virus that had plagued them. In the process of scanning the walls granite and pyroclastics were found.

Q

Quadrolin

Artificially generated by aliens. Used as drug in Malcorian hospitals.

• TNG: "First Contact" - Malcorian doctors intended to treat Riker with this medicine before they found out that he was an alien.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Quantum filament

Naturally occuring. An enlongated subatomic object, hundreds of meters long, but possessing almost no mass.

• TNG: "Disaster" - Caused damage to the ship. Troi asked O'Brien if a quantum filament was a kind of cosmic string; O'Brien said it was something completely different.

Quaratum

Artificially generated by crew. Used in thruster packs.
This is the correct spelling of the substance previously listed as "corudum", according to the Fact Files. Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

• TNG: "Disaster" - Geordi and Beverly had to get rid of the containers of quaratum, because the plasma fire was overheating them. They opened the cargo bay doors, and released the containers into space.

= Radioactive radiation

Naturally occuring or artificially generated by crew. Collective term for different forms of radiation.
The radioactive radiation consists of alpha rays (helium nuclei), Beta rays (electrons) and gamma rays (electromagnetic rays). It occurs whereever nuclei of atoms fall apart (mostly "bigger" atoms like the ones of uranium). The technological ability of using the energy caused by nuclear reactions led to many inventions, like the nuclear power plant and the atomic bomb - inventions which changed our world in more than one way...

• TNG: "Thine Own Self" - Data loses his memory during a mission on a planet where he collects radioactives pieces of metal, which are brought by a crashed deep space probe onto this planet. He soon enters a village and sells the radioactive pieces, not remembering how dangerous they really are. After several village people got a mysterious disease, Data finds out that they were contaminated by the metal pieces he sold.

Submitted by Bird of Prey

Retnax V

Artificially generated by crew. Used to improve eyesight.

• "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" - In the beginning of the movie, McCoy gives Kirk a set of bifocals for his birthday since Kirk is allergic to Retnax V.

Rhodium nitrite

Naturally occuring. Ore of inferior quality.
Supplement by Bernd: Someone with better knowledge of chemistry may tell us if this compound would be viable.

• DS9: "For The Uniform" - The Maquis combined it with other substances to synthesize cobalt diselenide.

Submitted by Alex Hoffmann

Riboviroxicnucleic acid

Naturally occuring. Like DNA, except the number of riboviroxicnucleic acid structures increase as the biological organism ages. In other words, without these structures, we wouldn't be able to "grow up."

• TNG: "Rascals" - Beverly noticed that several riboviroxicnucleic acid structures were missing in Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko. Their original structures were taken from past physical exams and loaded into the Transporter Buffer to allow the four to regain their "adult" age.

Ryetalyn

Naturally occuring. A mineral.

• TOS: "Requiem for Methesulah" - The crew needed it to combat an epidemic on another planet.

Rodinium

Naturally occuring. Cast rodinium is the hardest substance known to Federation science.

• TOS: "Balance of Terror" - The outer protective layers of Federation outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone are composed of this material. However, even with an outpost buried miles underground, it provided insufficient defense against the Romulan energy weapon. A piece of the destroyed shield was crushed by Spock.

Rubindium

Origin unknown. A non-toxic crystalline substance.
This may have been supposed to be the real-world element rubidium, altered through a typo.

• TOS: "Patterns Of Force " - Rubindium crystals are component elements of starfleet subcutaneous transponders. Kirk and Spock have these monitoring devices inserted into them, but upon capture they use the crystals to generate a primitive laser.