As duas principais diferenças entre um torpedo " Quantum " e um torpedo " Photon " são o rendimento da ogiva explosiva e o mecanismo pelo qual a explosão ocorre.
Força explosiva / rendimento
De acordo com o Manual Técnico DS9 , a força explosiva de um torpedo de Photon é 18,5 isótonos ( uma medida fictícia que não se traduz diretamente em megatoneladas ) com um limite superior teórico de 25 isotonnes dadas condições ideais.
Isto se compara com o rendimento potencial máximo de um torpedo Quântico de cerca de 52,3 isotons , substancialmente mais que o dobro.
A Memória Alfa observa que isso conflita em um par de ocasiões com declarações de canon de TV e filme sobre o fóton torpedos com rendimentos em centenas de isotons, mas geralmente podemos atribuí-los a erros de produção.
Mecanismo
Para citar o Manual Técnico da TNG , um torpedo de Photon funciona usando ...
...Variable amounts of matter and antimatter [ which are ] both held in suspension by powerful magnetic field sustainerswithin the casing at the time of torpedo warhead loading. They are held in two separate regions of the casing, however, until just after torpedo launch, as a safety measure.
The suspended component packets are mixed, though they still do not come into direct contact with one another because of the fields surrounding each packet. At a signal from the onboard detonation circuitry, the fields collapse and drive the materials together, resulting in the characteristic release of energy.
Por comparação, um torpedo Quantum usa a energia de uma explosão padrão de matéria / antimatéria para gerar uma 'membrana de vácuo'. Este vácuo atrai partículas de
dimensões alternativas e o influxo resultante de partículas cria uma enorme quantidade de energia extra.
The basic mechanism...involved
the formation of an eleven-dimensional space-time membrane. A cousin
of the superstring, the membrane was twisted into a string with a
topology of Genus 1 and pinched off from the background vacuum,
calling into existence a new particle. The process of creating large
numbers of new subatomic particles liberated correspondingly large
amounts of energy. Calculations quickly showed that a relatively small
volume of ultraclean vacuum carried aboard a torpedo warhead could
place a highly explosive energy release on the target.
The zero-point initiator is powered by the detonation of an uprated
photon torpedo warhead with a yield of 21.8 isotons, achieved through
increased matter-antimatter surface area contact and introduction of
fluoronetic vapor. The M/A reaction occurs at four times the rate of a
standard warhead. The detonation energy is channeled through the
initiator within 10^ -7 seconds and energizes the emitter, which
imparts a tension force upon the vacuum domain. As the vacuum membrane
expands, over a period of 0,0001 seconds, an energy potential
equivalent to at least fifty isotons is created. This energy is held
by the chamber for 10^ -8 seconds and is then released by the
controlled failure of the chamber wall.