Nucleonic Particle

Capt Archer holding a nucleonic particle removed from the ship's hull.

Nucleonic particles are substances found within polaric fields such as those located in the Delphic Expanse. They are composed of highly-charged particles, primarily ferric ions, as well as other unidentifiable elements. They are also extremely magnetic, causing them to be drawn and adhere to metal surfaces.

While traversing the Delphic Expanse in search of the Xindi superweapon in 2153, Enterprise entered a polaric field and its plasma manifolds were flooded with nucleonic particles, causing a flare in the ship's plasma injectors and forced a shutdown of the warp reactor. With Enterprise unable to move, nucleonic particles began to accumulate on the ship's hull, steadily engulfing the starship.

EV team was successful in obtaining a sample of the particulate, although it required multiple shots with a plasma rifle to remove it from the hull. After studying the sample, it was determined that, by themselves, the particles posed little threat to Enterprise; however, as the particles accumulated, they formed a strong particulate which generated a power-dampening dia-magnetic field capable of shutting down all shipboard systems, including life support.

The Enterprise crew ultimately decided that the best way to escape the polaric field and the particles was to have the vessel's shuttlepods tow the Enterprise a brief distance so as to gain a steady momentum, which would then push them out of the field. Although the ship's phase cannons had to be redirected towards the hull and used to remove the particulate which had accumulated over the starship's launch bay doors in order to free the shuttlepods, the plan was a success, and the nucleonic particles unattached from the hull upon Enterprise's clearing of the polaric field. (ENT: "Similitude")