>>>/tv/

>>64876926
Disruptors shoot a plasma of antiprotons. Phasers shoot a beam of nadions, a fictional exotic subatomic particle that dismantles the atomic structure of matter it interacts with, causing those reactions to also release some nadions, further dismantling nearby atoms. A very small amount can cause immenes shock to an organic system causing a knockout, an adequate amount disintegrates an human, and even larger amount disintegrates more. It can also be “phased” to cause other reactions and therefore is useful at other things. Disruptors just convert matter to energy. Less useful bu supposedly outright more powerful as a weapon.

>>64876946
>Less useful bu supposedly outright more powerful as a weapon.
That goes for ship-scaled disruptors, but most hand-disruptors are actually hard-locked to intensity settings less powerful than the highest settings on your typical hand phaser.

>>64876926
Phaser can be used as a tool that can ALSO fucking kill you meanwhile a Disruptor just REALLY FUCKING KILL YOU.

>>64876946

Supposedly some disruptors have a stun setting, but I'm not sure how that would work. Maybe just such tiny amount of plasma that it shocks someone?

>>>/toy/

>>64876946
>fictional
Just because it's not yet understood, doesn't mean it's not real.

>>64877058
Unlike Minovsky particles, nadions are totally real.

>>64877025
Romulans take no prisoners, they have no need for a stun setting. They are without honor.

a phaser is a civilized weapon for the good guys (symbol of the united states), a disruptor is a malicious weapon for the bad guys (symbol of japan, perfidious albion, the USSR, china, the shape shifting jews, or germany, depending on the episode)

>>64877058
>>64877061
If memory serves, Roddenberry chose nadion particle launchers instead of lasers when the scientific consultant informed him lasers didn't work the way they did in The Cage. Precisely because no one knows what nadion energy actually does.