BARYON

Class of the heaviest particles. Include neutrons, protons and the 
heavier, unstable hyperons: the lambda, sigma, xi, and omega particles.
The antiparticles of this class are termed antibaryons. Baryons consist
of three quarks and interact through the strong force, which holds 
atomic nuclei together. The law of conservation of baryons states that
for any interaction of elementary particles, the sum of baryon numbers
remains unchanged. Federation starships must periodically undergo 
"Baryon Sweeps" at facilities such as the Remmler Array to clear them
of contamination. 

Source: Daystrom Institute Technical Library, https://www.ditl.org
Alt. Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baryon

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Last updated on: Jan. 11 2010, 19:20 MET