Cavity Reactor

A cavity-type reactor is a specialised type of bridge generator that is optimised to open bridges to the entropic or syntropic planes, in order to extract either entropic or syntropic radiation. The first crude cavity reactor, known as the Avernus Cavity Reactor (ACR), was built by Nevrin in the 1960s and also functioned as the world’s first bridge generator. The reactors are named as such because of the spherical, cavity-like chamber in which the galraite core is usually suspended.

The reactors have many uses in the field of exophysics, acting as E-rad or S-rad sources. Most prominently, they allow for the generation of artificial singularities for energy production and wormhole creation. They also allow for the production of exofluids, including the hyporine fuel critical to the spaceflight economy, and miniature versions also function as the core of manifold anchors. Illegally, very high-energy cavity reactors can allow for the creation of sapient anomalies by saturating sapient entities in entropic radiation.

Principle

Much like a bridge generator, the cavity reactor relies on galraite being struck by high-energy exotic particle beams in order to open a bridge. However, it is much simpler, foregoing a targeting system to tear open the bridge using sheer brute force. The “rate” of the bridge is controlled by the particle beam’s charge and the “direction” of the bridge is controlled by the charge’s polarity; this allows either the entropic or syntropic plane to be targeted.

The key cost in operating cavity reactors is the galraite itself, which experiences continuous accelerated burnup as long as the bridge is open. Particular care must be made to the disposal of depleted isotopic waste products, as they themselves emit entropic radiation and are usable in the creation of Entropic Flashover Bombs (EFBs).

Operators

A large number of reactor facilities are owned by the Coalition and operated by CORE Bridge Systems, which is the only corporation currently authorised to facilitate the design and construction of new industrial cavity reactor installations. The majority of Coalition-owned facilities primarily form part of its singularity generation infrastructure, and are located in orbit.

CORE also operates a facility on behalf of Metatron for exofluid production, which Black Research also secretly utilises. BioCorp historically built and operated its own reactor for use in anomaly experiments during Project Kumeran, but the reactor was destroyed by Raven after the Ir'vaki Conflict. The Aegis Institute also operates a reactor at Mansur House which it utilises in order to produce anomalous psionic operatives.

Regulation

Industrial cavity reactors are regulated differently from bridge generators in a way such that they are not required to go through the rigorous Reality Control approval process for each cycle, as since they lack targeting computers, are unable to access other dimensions. This would be highly impractical, as unlike bridge generators, cavity reactors need to be able to operate unscheduled and for long pulse durations. However, they remain just as highly protected as bridge laboratories, if not more so, because of the concentration of galraite stored on-site and their potential use in anomaly creation.

Although the licensure of galraite can bypass Raven via an Anomalous Materials License (AML) from the Industrial Exophysics Regulatory Commission (IERC), operating a cavity reactor utilises far higher galraite quantities than permitted by an AML and as such requires authority from Raven. Cavity reactor installations are considered to be exosecurity sites.