Dineutronium

Dineutronium (DNT) is an extremely dense form of matter which is similar to neutron degenerate matter but does not require active physical compression for stability. It is comprised of stable dineutrons, arranged in a crystalline lattice held in formation by nuclear repulsion and bound together by pion exchange forces. The topology of the lattice acts as a waveguide for gravitons, creating a significantly lesser gravitational field than what would normally be expected of such a dense material. DNT is used as an extremely resilient material capable of withstanding relativistic impacts and ablation, and is present throughout Precursor technology.

Creation

The creation process for DNT starts with immense amounts of hydrogen, which is sped up to relativistic speeds in a particle accelerator and smashed against a mercury target to produce neutrons. The resulting neutron gas is cooled to near absolute zero, forming degenerate fermion gas. This gas is then compressed inside a pressure vessel capable of simulating the immense pressures within a neutron star, which triggers a quantum vacuum state shift that pairs individual neutrons into dineutrons. Gamma rays are then utilised to organise the material into a lattice formation. Because of the ludicrous energy requirements and star-scale infrastructure required in producing DNT, it can only be made in large quantities by Kardashev Type II civilisations like the Vertex Network and the Ir'vaki.

Processing

Dineutronium is the most difficult substance to cut, drill, machine, or otherwise work with in the universe. One of the only viable methods of processing DNT is a technique called antimatter ablation, where a concentrated stream of antineutrons at relativistic speeds is used to annihilate dineutrons. This releases a similar amount of radiation to a small quasar, so processing DNT must be done in containment and/or far away. Even so, doing this takes a lengthy amount of time, and requires the ability to produce plentiful amounts of antineutrons. Joining pieces of DNT is easier, as the material will cold weld in a vacuum with the application of high-energy gamma rays.

Uses

DNT was widely used by the Precursors as a robust, inert material for channelling immense amounts of energy, especially within planet-scale facilities. The "DNT conduits" found within Precursor energy infrastructure are a prime example of this, which would be used to distribute power between different levels of the facilities.