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DILITHIUM Crystals Mystery Cache

Hidden : 10/8/2022
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


*** NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES ***


In the Star Trek fictional universe, dilithium is a material which serves as a controlling agent in the matter-antimatter reactors. The fictional properties of the material in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual (1991) explain it as uniquely suited to contain and regulate the annihilation reaction of matter and antimatter in a starship's warp core. In a high-frequency electromagnetic field, eddy currents are induced in the dilithium crystal structure which keep charged particles away from the crystal lattice. This prevents it from coming in contact with antimatter when so energized, hence never annihilating, because the antimatter particles never actually touch it.

In the original series, dilithium crystals were rare, and crystals made by replicator were unsatisfactory for use in warp drives. Hence story lines based on the need for natural dilithium crystals for interstellar travel – much like real-world equivalents such as oil – made deposits of this material a highly contested resource between fictional factions in the stories, and as such, dilithium crystals have been used by writers to introduce interstellar conflict more than all other reasons combined.

As depicted on the show, the streams of matter (deuterium gas) and antimatter (anti-deuterium) directed into crystallized dilithium are unbalanced – there is usually much more matter in the stream than antimatter. The annihilation reaction heats the excess deuterium gas, which produces plasma for the nacelle(s) and allows faster than light travel.





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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

XRLJBEQ

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)