Dilithium is a fictional crystalline mineral in the universe of Star Trek. A beam of matter and antimatter interacting within dilithium generates a plasma that is used to power the warp drives that allow starships to travel faster than light. This function of dilithium was officially established with the Star Trek: The Next Generation series; in earlier works its properties are not clearly defined. A fictional universe is a cohesive imaginary world that serves as the setting or backdrop for one or (more commonly) multiple works of fiction. ... Star Trek collectively refers to a science-fiction franchise spanning six unique television series, 726 episodes and ten feature films in addition to hundreds of novels, computer and video games, fan stories and other works of fiction all set within the same fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry in the... Matter is commonly defined as the substance of which physical objects are composed. ... Antimatter or contra-terrene matter is matter that is composed of the antiparticles of those that constitute normal matter. ... A Plasma lamp, illustrating some of the more complex phenomena of a plasma, including filamentation In physics and chemistry, a plasma is an ionized gas, and is usually considered to be a distinct phase of matter. ... In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the warp drive is a form of faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion. ... This article is about the vehicle for interstellar travel. ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ...

In the original series, dilithium crystals occurred only naturally, making the search for them a major plot element for a number of stories. In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Spock discovers a method of re-crystallizing dilithium that allows the crew to regenerate the crystals on board their Klingon Bird-of-prey. This involves using 20th century fission reactors that generate high-energy photons that could cause the crystals to regenerate. Presumably this technique was not used earlier in the series because fission reactors had long been replaced by cleaner and more efficient technology. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Paramount Pictures, 1986; see also 1986 in film) is the fourth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... This article is about the Star Trek character. ... Klingons (tlhIngan in the Klingon language) are a race of humanoids in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Bird-of-Prey is a common name for various makes of Romulan and Klingon warship in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... An induced nuclear fission event. ... In physics, the photon (from Greek φως, phōs, meaning light) is the quantum of the electromagnetic field; for instance, light. ...

To avoid plots based on searches for dilithium crystals, the back-story of The Next Generation has dilithium synthesized artificially. These crystals can also be re-crystallized using technology that had been developed during the time between the original series movies and the events of The Next Generation. In narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story. ... The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ...

It is established that a large amount of dilithium can cause a planet to become geologically unstable, leading to a number of planets that had broken apart. The crew of the Enterprise-D find a method of eliminating the dilithium from such planets in order to save them. In the Star Trek fictional universe, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is the Galaxy class starship that is the principal setting of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). ...

Neither dilithium, trilithium, nor paralithium exist in the real world, but they are suggestive of an as yet undiscovered form of the real-world element lithium. According to molecular orbital theory, dilithium is plausible in the real world, having a bond order of 1. Trilithium is a fictional material in the universe of Star Trek. ... General Name, Symbol, Number lithium, Li, 3 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 2, s Appearance silvery white/gray Atomic mass 6. ...

The props used in place of dilithium crystals appear to be rose quartz in some instances and calcite in others.

In the computer game NetHack, dilithium crystals are the most valuable gemstone you can find. They are white, and are as soft as worthless glass. NetHack is a roguelike computer game originally released in 1987. ...

In the science-fiction comedy satire Tripping the Rift, the Jupiter 42 also runs on dilithium. Tripping the Rift is a Canadian CGI science fiction comedy television show that aired on Sci Fi Channel in March 2004. ...

External links

• Dilithium article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
• "The Mineralogy of Star Trek" [1]