Magnetic probe

One of the most delicate and important tools used by engineers, magnetic probes employ powerful vibanium-rhombium electromagnets to measure, shape, and control the flow of antimatter plasma in a starship's warp core. In critical situations it is sometimes impossible to take the warp engines offline for maintenance. The probe's precisely controlled and modulated magnetic field can safely affect and measure the antimatter flow through the warp engines. On its highest setting the unit's specially sarium krellide power cells can even provide enough power to stop temporarily the flow of antimatter, allowing replacement or servicing of critical components like the dilithium crystals without actually taking the warp engines offline. A magnetic probe helps speed repairs that might normally take several hours. The probe's powerful sensors can also measure minute changes in the antimatter plasma which sensors on the warp engines often cannot detect. This allows engineers to re-calibrate the engines to provide maximum power output, or to route the antimatter flow around damaged portions of the EPS conduits.

One should always remember that direct manipulation of the antimatter flow is extremely dangerous. Any serious mistakes - such as grounding the probe on the side of the antimatter conduit - can result in an uncontrolled explosion as the antimatter contacts both the probe and the user's arm. Since such mistakes can easily destroy an entire starship, cadets taking engineering courses use this device in numerous holodeck simulations before actually performing carefully supervised manipulations on actual starship engines.

Reference(s)

• Isaacs, Ross A., et al. Starfleet Academy Handbook, New York: Last Unicorn Games, 1999.