“Phaser” is an acronym for
Phased Energy Rectification, and is the name by which the standard and most common weapons among Starfleet personnel are described. [...] Phasers are based on the fast
nadion effect. The disruptive effects of these discharges can be controlled to produce diverse behaviors, ranging from the benign to the extremely destructive. Phaser plasma beams, as particle beams, travel slower than the speed of light, apparently varying according to the scale of their emitter. [...] Phase-pistols had the power of their particle yield generally kept under
five megajoules, but with modification it could be set to ten megajoules.
Nadion:
The technique for creating nadion particles is based on the stimulation of an energy matrix-guided sublimation process,
which gives the resulting plasma a relatively stable magnetohydrodynamic coherence. A programmable frequency laser beam strikes a sodium (NA) crystal; at the same time controlled amounts of nitrogen dioxide (dion) (stored in a high-pressure battery) are released. The sodium reacts violently with the nitrogen dioxide,
the laser acts as a carrier wave for the plasma resulting from the phase modulation of the energy matrix, which is necessary to configure the nadion particles. The energy matrix projects the appropriate harmonics to ensure the integrity of the beam formation, catalyzing the formation of particles to be projected. These particles, which are formed by the high temperatures, owe their existence to the harmonics supplied by the matrix, the sublimation of the sodium and nitrogen dioxide particles, forming nadion particles (often the detection of nadion discharges is indicative that a battle has recently occurred).
