Editing Quantum Singularity

[[File:Quantum Skip Drive Unit.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A Quantum Skip Drive Unit approaching a Joz ship in preparation for travel]]

A [[Quantum Singularity]] is a term commonly used by 24th century [[Federation]] [[starship]] personnel to refer to a point or region in the space-time continuum where normal physical models do not apply and extraordinary amounts of gravitational forces are typically present. Singularities can be both natural and artificial: wormholes, quantum matrices of planets, and black holes all can contain singularities, as do certain reactors (for example, those found in [[Romulan]] starships). 

Singularities can be detected by the effect they have on local gravimetric field signatures nearby (although they can be buried so far down in [[subspace]] layers that they cannot be detected in that way), and/or by using tetryon emissions as a guide. Singularities in general, and quantum singularities in particular, are known by 24th century science even when stable to send out waves of temporal displacement that affects, among other things, delta-series radioisotopes. Also, energy emitted by an exploding microscopic singularity can shift chroniton particles into a high state of temporal polarization and create subspace bubbles around nearby starships. This latter result can cause temporal anomalies and was directly observed by the USS Defiant in 2371. (DS9: "Visionary", "Past Tense, Part I") 

One example of the use of a singularity was demonstrated in 2373. The [[Borg]], [[Species 8472]], and the USS Voyager were all able to travel between the fluidic space dimension and our dimension via artificially created quantum singularities. (VOY: "Scorpion", "Scorpion, Part II") 

Another, very unusual, use of a singularity was in 2377 when Voyager bounced a tachyon beam off a singularity to permit real-time communication between the [[Alpha Quadrant]] and the [[Delta Quadrant]]. (VOY: "Author, Author") 

The artificial quantum singularity (also referred to as a confined or forced quantum singularity) was a method of generating energy. 

In the 24th century, artificial quantum singularities served as the primary power source for large Romulan spacecraft, such as the [[D'deridex Class]] warbird. Once activated, the singularity core cannot be shut down. (TNG: "Face of the Enemy", "Timescape"; DS9: "Visionary") 

In the [[Delta Quadrant]], a network of ancient relay stations claimed by the [[Hirogen]] were powered by quantum singularities approximately a centimeter in diameter, putting out four terawatts of energy. (VOY: "Hunters") 

Among the known races that utilize Quantum singularities to power their propulsion systems are the [[Romulan]]s and the [[Joz]], both of which reside in the [[Beta Quadrant]].

[[Category: Science]]