Blue PageUSS Columbia Research Brief | Vol. 1, No. 1 | 052010

Introductionelcome to the first in a series of research briefs written by CRR Heath Row, historian and

librarian for the USS Columbia, and published on behalf of the Science Department. These briefs will be published as needed and distributed to all crew.

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This series of research briefs is called Blue Page because of the characteristic blue paper on which it is printed. No other document series may be published on blue paper. This issue has been reviewed and approved by Chief Science Officer MCPT Steven McKean, SFMC.

Primary Topic: Cloaking technologySecondary Topic: Detection of cloaked vesselsRelated Project: Attempting to increase sensors' ability to detect cloaked vessels (ongoing)

Star Trek

Timeline of Key Events• 1986: Admiral James T. Kirk decloaked a

Klingon Bird-of-Prey to frighten whale hunters. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

• April 2151: Agents of the Suliban Cabal used cloaking technology to kidnap Klingon national Klang from the Enterprise.

• 2152: Enterprise Chief Engineer Charles Tucker III employed captured Suliban cloaking technology. (Enterprise: “Broken Bow,” “The Communicator”)

• March 2152: Temporal agent Daniels helped the Enterprise reveal a cloaked stealth cruiser. (Enterprise: “Shockwave”)

• April 2152: The Enterprise used quantum beacons to navigate a cloaked minefield protecting a Romulan-controlled planet but was unable to penetrate cloaked Birds-of-Prey (Enterprise: “Minefield”)

• 2266: USS Enterprise encountered a Romulan Bird-of-Prey that had crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone to destroy Earth Outpost Stations because the ship could be detected by tracking sensors. (Original Series: “Balance of Terror”)

• 2268: The Romulans developed a cloaking device undetectable by tracking sensors. (Original Series: “The Enterprise Incident”)

• 2269: Klingons on the IKS Klothos employed cloaks in the Battle of Caleb IV. (Animated Series: “The Time Trap”)

• 2286: The Federation acquired a cloaking device from a captured Klingon Bird-of-Prey, the HMS Bounty. (Star Trek III)

• 2293: An experimental Bird-of-Prey demonstrated the ability to fire torpedoes while cloaked. (Star Trek VI)

• 2311: In the Treaty of Algeron, the Federation pledged to not develop cloaking technology. The Bajoran Provisional Government made possession of cloaking devices illegal. (Next Generation: “The Pegasus”)

• 2358: The USS Pegasus, a ship testing an interphase cloak, was lost. (Next Generation: “The Pegasus”)

• 2368: Geordi La Forge developed the tachyon detection grid (Next Generation: “Redemption, Part II”)

• 2370: Quark obtained a small cloaking device and installed it in a Cardassian shuttle piloted by Natima Lang to escape Deep Space 9. (Deep Space 9: “Profit and Loss”) The Romulan Empire allowed use of a cloak on the USS Defiant within the Gamma Quadrant. (Deep Space 9: “The Search, Part I”) The Pegasus was rediscovered in an asteroid field. (Next Generation: “The Pegasus”)

• 2373: The Klingon High Council provided the Maquis with cloaks to help combat the Cardassians and the Dominion. (Deep Space 9: “Blaze of Glory”)

• 2382: Starfleet developed Deflective Hull Plating on the USS Ares as an alternative to cloaks. (Voyager: “Endgame”)

• 29th Century: An unknown entity traveled back in time to give the Suliban Cabal cloaking technology.

• 31st Century: Daniels traveled back in time to help the Enterprise in 2152.

Technical Aspectsarly Suliban cloaking devices used a form of particle radiation to render objects invisible.

Cloaks, which consist of a projection matrix and a tetryon compositor, consume a lot of power. Cloaking devices need to be patched into a ship's deflector shield grid. (Original Series: “The Enterprise Incident”) Cloaks and shields can't be employed at the same time. Similarly, weapons can't be engaged while a vessel is cloaked. Neither is always the case.

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Some cloaked ships are detectable by tracking sensors. Klingon cloaking devices, which are quite

heavy, weigh less than Romulan devices. (Deep Space 9: “The Emperor's New Cloak”)

Interphasic cloaks help make vessels invisible—as well as able to pass through solid matter. (Next Generation: “The Pegasus”) They were developed by the Romulans by combining a molecular phase inverter and a cloak device. Such cloaks, which enable simultaneous existence on a parallel plane, are risky and can result in chroniton particle contamination. (Next Generation: “The Next Phase”)

Related to cloaking is holographic masking, a form of stealth technology in which a false image of a vessel is created. It isn't used to hide a vessel, but to disguise it.

Detection of Cloaked Vesselsn March 2152, temporal agent Daniels helped the Enterprise penetrate the cloak of a cruiser that had

destroyed Paraagan II by using a quantum beacon. Previously, sensor tracking had been used to limited success; it worked when a cloaked ship was moving, but wasn't accurate enough to target weapons.

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Klingon-developed cloaks had visible energy distortions that were detectable when cloaking and uncloaking. In 2293, the USS Enterprise-A used a torpedo to track a cloaked ship's plasma exhaust.

Other modes of detection include gravitic sensor nets and tachyon detection grids or scanners. Additionally, cloaked ships, while at warp speed, radiate a slight subspace variance. (Deep Space 9: “The Search, Part I”) If a cloaked ship goes faster than its maximum propulsion capacity, it cannot fully cloak and will be detectable as a sensor echo on navigational sensors. (Next Generation: “Tin Man”)

Tetryon particles emitted by the tetryon compositor can also be detected. (Deep Space 9: “The Die Is Cast”) In some instances, antiproton beams can be used to detect cloaked vessels, but success is inconsistent because a cloak's resonance frequency can be altered. (Deep Space 9: “Defiant”)

A less technological method includes telepathic triangulation. (Star Trek Nemesis)

It can be assumed that, akin to improvements to computer security and hacking, improvements to cloaking will inspire improvements in sensing technologies. Any new developments generally result only in temporary advantages.

Non-Trek

Invisibility in History and Mythologyn the Middle Ages, some people believed that fern seeds were invisible, and that, if consumed, they

caused invisibility; ferns don't have seeds. Medieval astronomers thought that the sun, moon, stars, and planets were held aloft by invisible crystal spheres.

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In terms of energy sources, albeit contested, qi

and auras are considered to be invisible. Similarly, creatures such as ghosts, demons, goblins, and brownies are thought to be invisible, or able to become invisible.

Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, had a helmet that caused invisibility. In monotheistic religions, God might be considered invisible because of its omnipresence. In the 15th Century, the Rosicrucian order taught its adherents how to walk invisible among men.

Invisibility in Literatureotable examples include the following novels, stories, movies, and comic books:N• The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, 1897• The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien• The Amazing Transparent Man, 1960• Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four• Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street• Predator

Invisibility in Natureome small sea animals are very transparent, but they are not invisible.SActive or adaptive camouflage is used by animal

species such as cuttlefish, chameleon, and flounder. In that case, the animal changes color based on body temperature, stress, or surroundings. Some mimic stationary patterns, changing them as they move.

Military Stealth Technologyince 1958, the United States military has experimented with stealth technology or low

observable (LO) technology to disguise personnel, aircraft, and other vehicles. The goal is to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar, and other detection methods.

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Methods generally include designing planes in a particular shape that reduces detection by redirecting electromagnetic waves from radars. Radar absorbent material has also been used.

The B-2 Spirit and F-22 Raptor are currently in service. Boeing has developed a technology demonstrator called the Bird of Prey.

In terms of non-vehicular stealth technology, military uniforms have been treated with various chemicals to reduce infrared signatures. Inspired by animals who use active or adaptive camouflage, researchers are exploring the potential use of video cameras, projectors, flexible electronics, metamaterial, holography, and other methods to disguise soldiers.

Recommended Reading

f anyone would like to participate in a USS Columbia reading group, I'm going to read Star Trek Section

31: Cloak by S. D. Perry soon.I

Comments on Blue Page are welcome: 438 N. Stanley Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036; kalel@well.com.