Matter

File:Enterprise at the creation point.jpg

Enterprise and its crew witnessing the natural creation of matter at creation point.

Matter is the general term for all physical substances. It consists at the basic level from charged subatomic particles. There is also a variant of matter where the particles have the same mass and configuration, but an opposite charge: antimatter. These variants react heavily with each other, canceling each other out in a matter-antimatter reaction. This kind of reaction is widely used to propel starships.

Matter exists in four fundamental states that exhibit differing physical properties.

The following are the states of matter in order of increasing kinetic energy (temperature):

• states of matter:
  • solid
  • liquid
  • gas
  • plasma

Solids exhibit strong intermolecular bonds that maintain a fixed shape and volume. The intermolecular bonds in a liquid are partially counteracted by the average thermal energy of the individual atoms in the substance, thereby giving the liquid its fluidic properties. In a gas, the bonds are completely overcome by thermal energy. In a plasma, the thermal energy is so high that most of the atoms break apart and ionize into free electrons and cations.

Matter is naturally created at the creation point at the galactic core, creating matter-energy whirlwinds which are capable of transporting objects into an alternate universe where the world of Megas-Tu exists.

Both matter and antimatter can exist in these phases.

See also

• antimatter
• atoms
• dark matter
• energy
• holomatter
• protomatter