Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of matter and its constituents. It encompasses related fields such as particle physics and material science, which play significant roles in civilization. The majority of ordinary matter is composed of atoms and molecules, which in turn are composed of particles such as protons and neutrons, which are in turn composed of elementary particles. The makeup of an atom determines all of its properties, which can vary radically with only slight changes in constituents.

Read more: Material Science

Primary Particles

Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the primary constituents of atoms. The numerical balance of these particles determine the general type, mass, and charge of an atom. They are composed of elementary particles.

Secondary Particles

Overview

The secondary components of atoms are introns, outrons and energons. An atom that contains one or more of these particles is known as a variant of the original element, such as hydrozan, a hydrogen atom with greater energy density than standard hydrogen due to an energon in its makeup. All variants constitute a “third dimension” to the periodic table, resulting in different and sometimes radically divergent forms of the same material, similar to how the number of protons determines an element but atomic neighbors may share no similar properties at all.

Most variants are difficult to synthesize due to the complexity of atomic bonding. Natural variants form via a range of processes that often require time and unique large-scale circumstances, while synthesized variants require particle accelerators. There are currently few economically viable man-made variants.

Despite the potential for an exponentially expansive periodic table containing the different combinations of particles, a large number of potential variants are inherently unstable, and thus do not occur naturally and are unsynthesizable. Similarly, a large quantity of stable variants do not exhibit properties notably divergent from their standard form.

Introns & Outrons

Introns and outrons, composed of their own set of elementary particles, have different effects on different elements. They can alter every tangible property of a given element including atomic radius, density, phase properties (melting and boiling point), ionization energy, and electronegativity.

Energons

Energons are particles that affect the energy storage of atoms in various ways. Energons can store variable amounts of energy within them with the potential to alter the specific heat and density of a given element.

Exotic Particles

Plasmatrons

A plasmatron is a particle found in high-pressure gaseous environments, most notably stars and gas giants. They are used to make energy weapons. Plasmatrons are named similarly to but are not the same as typical plasmas, though they share similar properties. When an atom contains a plasmatron, it is said to be plasmified. Plasmatrons can bond with almost any atom to create an extremely dangerous and unstable form of that atom which forms the basis of their weaponization. Plasmatrons are obtained by extracting them while either free-floating, or occasionally from the few naturally occurring compounds that are relatively stable while plasmified.

Negatrons

Negatrons are particles of negative energy, obtained only as a result of high-energy collisions in particle colliders between atoms of the correct energon and energy composition. The products of the collision are an atom containing more energy than the sum of the constituents, and a negatron. Negatrons are unable to bond with atoms, and are the primary component of warp drive fuel.