An isoton was a measure of both mass and explosive yield used by at least Federation, Dominion, Borg and Malon science during the 24th century and Kyrian in the 31st century.
Comparative list of measure
Isogram = 1 one-millionth of an isoton
- A few isograms of dilithium crystal was barely enough to power the sonic showers of a starship. (VOY: "Equinox")
- 10 isograms of antimatter eminating cellular matter were contained in the body of a nucleogenic lifeform. (VOY: "Equinox")
- 630 isograms of nucleogenic cellular matter (63 lifeforms in total) was required to power a Template:ShipClass starship to cross a distance of 35 thousand light years at a speed of 10 thousand light years per less than two weeks. (VOY: "Equinox")
Isoton
- Kilana had her Jem'Hadar troops fire 10 isotons of explosives near a Jem'Hadar attack ship in which a team from Deep Space 9 was seeking shelter in 2373. (DS9: "The Ship")
- A photon torpedo explosion of 25 isotons could destroy an entire city within seconds. (VOY: "Living Witness")
- A 54 isoton yield gravimetric charge could blow up a small planet. (VOY: "The Omega Directive")
- An 80 isoton yield gravimetric torpedo was used by USS Voyager to destroy a harmonic resonance chamber containing approximately 144 million omega molecules (72% of approximately 200 million) in 2374. (VOY: "The Omega Directive")
- A bomb with 90 isotons of enriched ultritium had the explosion radius of 800 kilometers. Such a bomb was used to blow up a ketracel-white facility in Cardassian space in 2374. (DS9: "A Time to Stand")
- 200 isotons was the explosive yield of a photon torpedo with a class-6 warhead. (VOY: "Scorpion, Part II")
- A 5 million isoton explosion of a multi-kinetic neutronic mine could affect an entire star system. The shock wave had a dispersive force radius of 5 light years. (VOY: "Scorpion, Part II")
- A Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient could transport 90 million isotons of antimatter waste. (VOY: "Night")
- In the year 2375, the Malon civilization produced 6 billion isotons of antimatter waste as an industrial byproduct daily. (VOY: "Night")
- Another type of Malon export vessel could transport 4 trillion isotons of antimatter waste. (VOY: "Juggernaut")
Background
According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, 25 isotons is the maximum theoretical yield of a matter-antimatter reaction in photon torpedoes and that quantum torpedoes have at least twice the yield at 50+ isotons. (pg. 85) These figures are not compatible with the canonical statement in "Scorpion, Part II" of 200 isotons as the yield of a class-6 photon torpedo warhead.
As with most other units of measure used in Star Trek: Voyager, isotons came to be used with unrealistic magnitudes such as four trillion isotons for the large Malon export vessel. As with most other measures used in Star Trek there are no direct conversions to real world measures given.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual a figure of 1,5kg of antimatter is given as the maximum warhead material of a photon torpedo. (pg. 129) Using standard physics calculations a direct 1:1 explosion would equal to about 64 megatons. Warhead materials are however premixed to achieves the level of destructive force of an antimatter pod rupture containing 100 cubic meters of antideuterium. (pg. 69) Antimatter is stored as liquid or slush on starships. (pg. 68) Density of mere liquid antideuterium is around 160 kg per cubic meter. According to this comparison the high annihilation rate energy release would be comparable to about 690 gigatons. Furthermore it is not clear if the 1,5 kg should be compared to the 200 isoton figure given in "Scorpion, Part II" on-screen, or the 25 isoton figure given in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual.
External link
- Iso- prefixes - for the real-world uses of the iso- prefix