Bussard collector
The Bussard collector, also known as a Bussard ramscoop or simply ramscoop, was a device usually attached to the forward end of a warp nacelle. The  variation of the Bussard collector was known as the arva node. The collector, along with the Bussard collection coil, was called a Bussard unit. ( okudagram; )

All Federation starships were equipped with Bussard collectors, which were optimally positioned to collect interstellar particles. Collection worked best in regions where particle density was high, such as in star systems or nebulae. The Bussard collector normally collected hydrogen, especially deuterium, for fuel replenishment, but could be reconfigured to collect various gases like sirillium and plasma particles. A Bussard collector could also be reconfigured to expel gases or plasma. () Bussard collectors were not capable of producing nadion emissions. () 

Aboard the  , in the Engineering Systems Database, there was a folder titled "Bussard Collection Field Operations". This folder contained technical manuals relevant to the topic. ( okudagram)

Modification and exceptional uses

In 2365, the USS Enterprise-D's collectors were used to create a harmless pyrotechnic display to deceive the Pakleds into releasing Lieutenant Geordi La Forge. The collectors were set to release hydrogen exhaust, which La Forge claimed to be a "crimson force field" that would disable the Pakleds' weaponry. ()

While trapped in a Tyken's Rift in 2367, the Enterprise-D released large quantities of hydrogen from its Bussard collectors to help some unknown aliens create a violent explosion and release themselves. ()

In 2373, the 's collectors were used to gather the sirillium from a class 17 nebula. It was described that they would "cut through that nebula like ice cream scoops." () They were modified to gather plasma particles from an astral eddy. ()

In 2374, Seven of Nine determined that the collectors of an  starship were less than optimal. She performed a series of modifications that enhanced them by twenty-three percent. ()

In 2375, Commander William T. Riker used the 's collectors to gather, and then vent, metreon gas against attacking Son'a vessels, a maneuver which Commander La Forge nicknamed the Riker Maneuver. ()

In 2376, Voyagers collectors were modified to gather deuterium from a J class nebula. ()

External links

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Warp
Energy technology