Text File

Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.tech From: wtm@cck.coventry.ac.uk (NOMAD........) Subject: Cloaking Devices...just an idea?? Message-ID: <C17Aw9.3Mo@cck.coventry.ac.uk> Organization: U.N.C.L.E. Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 11:07:20 GMT Lines: 374

DISCUSSION OF STAR TREK CLOAKING DEVICES

This is a vague attempt to explain observed phenomena of Romulan and Klingon Cloaking devices. For reference I have taken these phenomena from STAR TREK Classic series, including films and from STAR TREK:TNG. I have also used the STAR TREK:TNG Technical Manual. Any material within double asterisks (**) is NOT AT ALL OFFICIAL. Basically, it has been thrown in to rationalise the theory. All ideas were bounced around within a dedicated panel of Treknicians, including two Physicists, a Chemist and a Mathematician, with the aid of three ST:TNG Tech Manuals, two VCRs, a large collection of video footage, and a particle in a pear tree ...

Chief cloaking device Treknician (Liverpool University) : CJ Moseley Assistance provided by: AJL Brown, PA Kelleher, DL Oldroyd

( Reachable at u2ajlb@uk.ac.liverpool.compsci. Mark fao CJM). ( or wtm@uk.ac.cov.cck Wayne aka NOMAD )

ESSENTIAL CLOAKING DEVICE MECHANICS

History:

The cloaking device was first created by the Romulans before the formation of Star Fleet. Certainly, by the time Star Fleet began launching deep space missions, the Romulans had perfected the original design for the cloaking device. This early version could only fool limited sensor readings and visual observation. Sometime later the Romulans and Klingons entered a period of trade (or mutual theft) and the Klingons received a new version of the cloaking device (Klingon: So'wI'). This version could effectively cloak all electromagnetic radiation except for Gamma rays, which could penetrate the cloak because of the high energy of the photons. First contact: Stardate: 1709.1 TOS "Balance of Terror" Third generation cloaking devices have been common on Romulan and Klingon craft for over eighty years. The first recorded sighting was by Captain James Tiberius Kirk, who later stole such a craft (a Klingon Bird of Prey) and crashed it in San Francisco Bay. Current technology is based upon this design with some refinements.

Basic Theorem ...

The ship generates a gravitational distortion that causes electromagnetic radiation to curve halfway around the ship before escaping.

Extended Theorem Discussion ...

In discussion of the extended theorem it is necessary for us to use an example ship with the modelling of the mechanics involved. Two craft readily suggest themselves; the Klingon 'Bird Of Prey' or toQDuj (although also used by Romulans) and the Romulan 'Warbird', although these craft tend to use slightly different technology, as will be seen.

In discussing cloaking technology it is necessary to discuss gravitational theorem in general.

Gravitational Theorem In Brief ...

The so called force of gravity is in fact, as has been known for some time, a distortion of spacetime about (in general) a mass. It is possible, however, to create an artificial distortion and hence artificial gravity. Light always travels in straight lines. If, however, space is bent by a 'mass' (or virtual mass) then light will appear to bend, as far as the observer is concerned. This phenomenon is most visible in the accretion discs of black holes, where light can be made to orbit a black hole, just above the event horizon. It is obvious, then, that by bending space around a spacecraft, the light can also be made to bend, and by this method the vessel can be made to vanish.

Gravity Generators or Virtual Mass Projectors

The Federation has had gravity generators on board most craft since slightly before contact with the Vulcans. The theory of gravity generators is that since spacetime is quantized, a particle, the graviton, represents the distortion of space through one quantum "distance". Generation of gravitons is possible by rapidly oscillating a superconductor generating an electromagnetic wave across a dielectric, creating a virtual mass. This will distort spacetime as is required. The only major limiting effect is the gravitational constant G, which is essentially a measure of the elasticity of space.

Now, although theoretically invisible, the ship would be traceable because of the gravitational distortion. This can, however, be overcome. The virtual mass projectors can be used to create an area of null gravity, either side of the virtual mass (in fact, a virtual "antimass" that bends space back to normal).

Mapping To Create Cloaking Devices

The distortion would use the mass of the body to amplify the effect to a given range, theoretically allowing any sized vessel to be cloaked, although this is not practically true because of devastating spatial ripple effects.

Tuning Of Cloaking Devices For A Specific Ship

It should be noted that the energy holding a virtual mass in place has a certain frequency, at which the cloaking device resonates. This frequency has to be calculated carefully so that the ship it is attached to amplifies the cloak, making it more energy efficient, thereby enabling the cloak to wavemap about the ship by careful interference control. The frequency is also determined by the amount of time the cloak can distort space beyond the normal parameters of the gravitational constant G. Careful tuning involves compensating for the ship's exact mass and all forces acting on the ship. Only by complete dedication of all non-essential processors can ship board computers normally handle this.

Cloaking Ships.

A modern active Cloaking device has at least two known settings, possibly switching switching between states:

Spherical Cloaking Mode.

On this setting the cloak is generated at a constant distance from the centre of the amplifying mass. This distance is controllable up to a certain distance, and extended beyond this distance the cloak chaotically collapses. This setting is intended for use during warp travel, whereby the cloak surrounds the warp fields and effectively cloaks them also. The cloaking device also behaves as a snowplough, compressing and forcing aside interstellar gas, dust and micrometeors. Power expenditure increases rapidly, because the ship's mass decreases as warp ten is approached (The Romulan Warbird in "Tin Man" burnt out its generators attempting to remain cloaked at high warp). The spherical cloaking mode produces a noticeable distortion of visible light. This is because the field behaves as a lens, focusing light in places and diffusing it in others, this is especially noticable as the cloak engages and as the ship uncloaks (the noticable shimmering, and the blurred, moving stars so often seen).

Wavemapped Cloaking Mode.

On this setting the cloak is generated at a constant distance from the surface of a mass. On a ship with a finely tuned cloaking device, it is possible to have the cloak set to extend no more than five centimetres; on a very well tuned vessel less than thirteen millimetres (A cloak at this level of tuning can not be detected by visual distortion except when cloaking or uncloaking). Constant computer monitoring is required at this level, and cannot be performed at warp. Since the cloak would not in fact extend beyond the warp fields, however, this would make no difference, since the warp fields themselves would be traceable. Wavemapped cloaking cannot be instantly disengaged, because of the complexity of the field geometry. Instead the cloak should be carefully powered down to avoid destruction of the cloaking device or possibly the ship (Although the Mk 4 device may be capable of this, data is inconclusive). In an atmosphere, gas will get trapped inside the cloak if wavemapped. This will mean physical attacks on the cloak will be transmitted as sound to the hull and back (making a nice "metallic" ringing).

Cloaking Devices and Tactical Operations

Shields

Because of the nature of the spatial distortion of a cloaking device, it cannot be raised at the same time as deflector shields, which operate by distorting both space and sub-space.

Phasers

It is possible for finely tuned, or wide beam, phasers to penetrate a cloak from outside. Firing phasers out, however, is a far greater problem, since a phaser would half orbit around the inside of the cloak and result in an attack from a diametrically opposite point i.e. you would shoot yourself. Theoretically it is possible to open an interference 'window' as below. Unfortunately, due to the nature of phasers, they are tuned to the same frequency as the power supply. This means that when cloaks are operational and the power is tuned, the phasers can't shoot through the cloak.

Photon Torpedoes

It is possible to open an interference 'window' in a finely tuned cloak, so that a photon torpedo will pass through (as opposed to being crushed by the gravitational distortion so that matter and antimatter are forced to overlap and explosively detonate part way through the cloak). This interference window is in fact generated by, at the moment of firing, a second frequency added to the first. The frequencies interfere and cause a gap to open in the cloak. Because the cloak has to be very finely tuned, calculations are necessary to allow the ship to properly cloak after the launch of the torpedo. These calculations cause a lag in firing, of approximately point three four seconds before the firing, and a very slight lag after firing before the window closes totally. This set of calculations is very complex to program, because the mass of the ship and crew has to be known very accurately, and so is not really used except under exceptional circumstances (as in the historical case of the attack by a prototype Bird Of Prey with a mk 3.2 cloaking device on the Klingon cruiser Kronos-1. This cloaking device and ship were destroyed by Captain James T. Kirk)

Operation Of Scanners, Transporters And Tractor Beams

All these are possible because they are timed to work exactly out of phase, but at the same frequency as the cloaking device. Since, however, each ship is individually tuned and the tuning continually changes, only that ship can 'see' through. However, limits are placed on equipment being used through the cloak e.g. Range is quite considerably reduced on all the systems. External tractor beams may penetrate a cloak, but this is due to the tractor beam having a high graviton component, and hence negates the virtual (anti-) mass.

Romulan Weaponry

Romulan weaponry by its very nature requires huge power reserves, and cloaking a vessel as large as a Warbird also requires considerable energy. Hence the only time when Romulan Craft can raise enough power to fire and cloak at the same time is as it drops to sublight speeds, converting kinetic energy to electrical. However it is at precisely this moment that the fine cloaking is most difficult to engage. On the new mk 3.3 cloak it may be possible, but we have seen no evidence as yet.

Effects Of Cloaking On Crew And Craft

As a cloak engages (and possibly disengages) a spatial ripple forms through the amplifing mass. Even on a vessel as small as a Bird Of Prey this effect can be disasterous. As the ripple forms, the ships inertial damping and gravity generators attempt to respond. If the ripple is fairly limited, no real effect will result, but, should the ripple be large, the systems will fail to adequately compensate and the ripple will distort space. This distortion, although small, can alter the neural pathways in the brain, effectively rendering the crew insane, or worse. Statistically, a large enough ripple should occur some 0.00007854% of the time, on a ship of approximately the same mass as a Bird Of Prey. On Romulan vessels the advanced gravity generators are programmed to compensate for the ripple ahead of time; because of the size of a Warbird, even a small ripple would be amplified to a state where the stresses could destroy a ship. The computers controlling the gravity compensation on a Warbird are directly connected to sensors around the centre of the vessel, that then watch the ripple form and can accurately compensate for even large ripples. Romulan technology is not however completely infallible (despite what the Romulans may claim), and calculations predict that Warbird crews should be subjected to neural disturbance 0.0000001386% of all operations, with a 0.000000000341% chance of complete structural failure due to spatial ripple stress.

It is precisely for this reason that The Federation has not adopted cloaking devices on board its own vessels as standard (although a few vessels may exist with cloaks). It is not possible for Galaxy class vessels to withstand the stress of cloaking in any case, without a similar method of construction to Romulan craft. Unfortunately, our warp field mechanics suggests that such a shape and design of engine is inefficient in comparison with Starfleet vessels.

Detection Through Cloaks

For a ship to be cloaked, it has to be generating power in phase with the cloaking device. This means that leaking radiation can pass through the cloaking device. The exact nature of the radiation depends upon the ship type used and the exact design of cloak. Normally, uncharged neutronic radiation is detected. However, this radiation rapidly dissipates in space, and will probably not even pass a spherical cloak. It is hence impossible to detect a cloaked vessel should ambient radiation levels be high enough. However it is possible that at high radiation levels the cloak may automatically cause spatial ripple, when engaging and disengaging, amplifing through the energy particle medium. We are not sure, at this time, how cloaked vessels are detected by their allies. It is thought, perhaps, that part of the cloaking device resonates in sympathy with another cloaked vessel making detection possible, but the system must be specifically tuned for detection, and can only be used when both vessels are using spherical or non-fine tuned wave mapped cloaking modes, the fine tuned cloak being too specialized to adequately detect or be detected by other vessels.

The Definitive And Brief Guide To Cloaks and Cloaked Vessels

Mk 1 (wa') Cloak: Original usage, early Warbirds only. Used E/M shielding quite effectively to cloak only visible and near-visible radiation Can instantaneously cloak and decloak, but had large power drainage. Mk 2 (cha') Cloak: A major improvement on the Mk 1, this device used E/M to cloak all other electromagnetic radiation, except high energy Gamma rays. Can instantaneously cloak and decloak, but was remarkably inefficient. Craft : Romulan Scouts and Warbirds, also Klingon D-7 Cruisers (qughDuj buv D-Soch) and later the joint Romulan/Klingon scout and Bird Of Prey. **Star Fleet did have experimental craft with this cloak for a short period, whilst prototypes were heavily guarded, and before wide spread appearance of Mark 3 cloaks.** Mk 3.0 (wej-pagh) Cloak: The first gravity distorting cloak, as described above.The early prototype craft had problems with energetic effects occurring inside the cloak as a result of trapped spurious thermal emissions within the cloaking field. **When these effects built up to the point at which lasing started, massive damage was caused to several experimental Klingon vessels (records do not mention Romulan Technology for this period).** A stopgap defence against this effect was created by painting the craft green. This tuned the lasing energy to a frequency where it could leak very slowly through the cloak without revealing the ships presence, still common practice on most cloaked vessels. This early Mk 3 had only the spherical field setting and could not be effectively wavemapped. It could not instantly cloak and decloak, but saw much use on most Romulan craft and the Bird Of Prey. Mk 3.1 (wej-wa') Cloak: This improved device featured instantaneous propagation of the spherical cloak, and first saw use of the wavemapped cloak. It is reported to have been used as above and as an upgraded cloak for D-7 Cruisers. **A version was made for use on Star Fleet vessels before the effects were entirely understood.** Green painting was generally still necessary. Mk 3.2 (wej-cha') Cloak: This version saw the creation of the fine tuned Cloak. This device was perhaps first created by the Klingons, but required large power reserves. The Romulans later reworked the idea into a more efficient form (officially designated the Mark 3.2a). The old cloak is still in active service on older Klingon craft. Mk 3.2a (wej-cha'a') Cloak: Romulan reworking of the 3.2. No special colouration of the craft was necessary because the tuning had been perfected to a stage where laser energy could be directed to special receptors on the ship, aiding in maintaining power reserves. The cloak is still extensively used by Romulans and Klingons alike. Mk 3.3 Cloak: This latest version allowed powering down of all non- finely tuned cloaks instantly. It is only fitted, as far as is known, to Romulan Warbirds. Klingons claim to still use the 3.2a. Unconfirmed Mk 4 Cloak: Our agents in the Romulan Empire have leaked news to us concerning a new cloaking device that can instantly be activated without fear of the dangerous spatial ripple occurring. They also claim that this device would render a ship completely undetectable.

****For Star Fleet Archives

Chief scientific archivist CJ Moseley

Further thoughts, loopholes and problems. (Errata, but nothing's gone wrong yet...)

If you're not sure where Starfleet use cloaking devices, see the novelisation of STVI:TUC or the blueprints of the USS Lynx(while decloaked!)

Writers using Mk 4 cloaks are quite welcome to it, but don't expect us to explain it.

Should someone decide that Federation vessels may have cloaks, they should really be Mk 3.2a or better, so that they can still be painted white.

Cloaked planets are silly,but not impossible.(All it should require is a convenient geothermal power source, although huge cloaks will normally produce defects in carbon-based lifeforms).

Ramming ships with a cloak on should be mutually destructive. For one thing, the computers, no matter how fast, cannot cope with a near-instantaneous change of momentum, and the cloak will damage the rammed ship exactly like a direct collision, as well as possibly causing all kind of buggery* to both ships and space as things distort. * This is a technical term meaning heavy damage. A good method for repairing broken cloaking devices according to our Klingon technical advisor is to inflict heavy damage upon them.

Switching them off suddenly... Not at all advisable with anything less than a Mk4 unless you enjoy a crew of babbling idiots. However, there's no reason why a writer may not decide that a ship could feasibly be catapulted through time by this method. The physics is vaguely applicable, if somewhat pear- shaped.

Session ends...0251 am GMT on 18th Jan 93 Stardate: Heavily Damaged if I know...

Chris Moseley

........so There it is..please feel free to add stuff or to flame it on any points that are wrong....we don't mind constructive critisism it's the sarcastic buggers we don't like.....any more ideas would be more than welcome.Please either post on to the network or to the address below (please not to the one above as they have a limited mail sys. all mail willl be handeled and answered!)..

wtm@uk.ac.cov.cck ..well hope to hear from you soon. -- ********************************************************* wtm.uk.ac.cov.cck * I HAVE SEEN A VISION OF THE FUTURE AND IT WAS DARK....* "Our little group * ....BUT THEN I TOOK MY SHADES OFF * has always been and ********************************************************* always will...."