Trans-Am System

Trans-Am is a GN Drive system feature that accelerates and maximizes GN particle output to mobile suits and mobile armors in Mobile Suit Gundam 00.

Description & Characteristics
The system was originally drafted by Aeolia Schenberg to grant CB's Gundam Meisters full utilization of their GN Drives; the system was later reverse-engineered and adapted by the Earth Sphere Federation and Innovators forces. The GN Drives were originally given a limited particle generation rate. Trans-Am is the full utilization of the GN Drives and maximum particle generation. When activated, the system maximizes GN particle generation from the GN Drive(s). Under normal operation, the GN Drives generate particles at a limited rate while the drives themselves store excess GN Particles inside the GN Condensers. With Trans-Am, the GN Drives operate at their full power by releasing all of their stored particles along with high particle generation with the drive(s). These released GN Particles would be controlled in high concentrations on the surface of the armor which renders an external pink-reddish hue on the entire mobile suit; these particles that cover the whole mobile suit thus improves the mobile suit's defense and at the same time increase the amount of thrust produced .This boost in performance is only temporary as once all the released energy and particles dissipate, the GN Drives must replace the spent energy and the unit will perform at a reduced capacity until the energy is replaced.

Celestial Being later learned to develop fourth generation Gundams to take advantage of Trans-Am along with its support units. The new improved system has the exact same properties as the previous system; the new system is capable of temporary utilization without exhausting all of its particles. The fourth generation Gundams were designed with special functions that require greater GN particles than the GN Drive would normally generate. To compensate for the particles needed for the high consuming function(s), Trans-Am can be used for a few seconds, long enough to power and execute the function without fully draining the Gundam of its power. This technology is also expanded throughout all their support units that utilize GN particles to function. Doing so not only gives them an advantage in the battlefield, but effectively utilize their particles without waste; it's unclear if the Earth Sphere Federation and/or Innovators have reversed-engineered such an ability with their own Trans-Am.

The Earth Sphere Federation's version of Trans-Am is different than that of CB's, primarily in their particle output abilities. Since their Trans-Am is powered by GN T Drives, Trans-Am is far limited in their application(s) and requires the  GN T Drive to be replaced after use. Overall, the GN Drive Tau Trans-Am can partially rival the abilities of a true GN Drive, but post usage of Trans-Am is a liability as the GN T Drive requires replacement and/or recharging before returning to battle, a true GN Drive would only need time to self recharge to effectively combat. It should be noted that the Earth Sphere Federation and Innovators concluded Trans-Am differently. While their abilities are nearly the same, Innovators developed their Trans-Am from stolen CB data, while technical engineer Billy Katagiri figured it out through notes left behind by Ralph Eifman. Eventually, Innovators shared their data with Billy Katagiri to help develop/refine their mobile units; the overall capabilities of their Trans-Am presumed lesser than their true counterparts.

Activation
Trans-Am system first appeared after Alejandro Corner killed Aeolia Schenberg and activated a system trap . Aeolia's death activated the black boxes of the 5 GN Drives to allow full utilization of their GN Drives. Trans-Am activated within Gundam Exia and the Gundam went into a high speed frenzy against Gundam Throne Zwei, forcing the Zwei to flee.

Ralph Eifman's Legacy
In the four-year interim between the first season and the second, and during the events of 2312 AD, Billy Katagiri recovered and researched what Eifman was working on before his death, concerning the GN Drives and their ability to produce topological defects, which gave them a near-limitless energy supply. After much toiling, while he was not able to make future Tau drives hold practically infinite energy, he was able to successfully replicate one feature- the Trans Am system, first applied to Graham Aker's Masurao unit, allowing him and it to fight on even footing with the 00. However, it had its drawbacks- due to the finite energy of Tau drives, usage was limited to only one three minute burst, and, as a result, the Drives were pushed to breaking point, requiring replacement soon after they were used.

Innovators Development
After the Masurao was equipped with Trans-Am, the Innovators started researching the technology to use it on their own suits. This research, aided by Billy, primarily culminated in the GNZ-004 Gaga, a series of lightly armed suicide machines given Trans Am for high-speed ramming purposes. This technology was also applied to Revive Revival's GNZ-003 Gadessa and Hiling Care's GNZ-005 Garazzo. Both machines could also use Trans Am more than once, indicating that either their Drives were somehow larger in terms of particle storage capacity, or a way to use the system had been found that lessened the amount of particles exhausted.

Operational Hypothesis
While there is no official explanation of the workings of Trans-Am, there is still data which may be examined. Using said observational data in conjunction with known facts, conclusions may be drawn. In order to proceed, certain aspects of the GN drive itself must be established or at least accepted as propositions. It is given that GN drives are fueled by the decay of baryonic matter. It is long established that particle decay from an atom happens at a very predictable rate. Thusly we can infer that while it is possible to reduce the output of a GN drive via the introduction of a mediating material into the reaction space, it is impossible to increase the power generated beyond a certain point, simply because there is no way to accelerate the decay of the fuel source. This is why radio-isotope dating is possible.

A second fact to consider is that a GN drive is not necessary for Trans-Am. The Ptolomy II engages Trans Am during its approach to CBS Celestial Being. This is noteworthy because there were no GN Drives aboard Ptolomy II at that time. Therefore we must conclude that it is possible to Trans Am using only GN Condensers. The key to Trans-Am lies not in the GN drive, but in the Condensers.

The most troubling aspect of Trans-Am is the low-power state experienced after Trans-Am ends. It is this data point that calls for a more complex solution. If Trans-Am were merely an increase in drive output or faster release from the Condensers, then the mobile suit's post-Trans-Am performance would be comparable to its standard performance. Much like a jet fighter engaging an afterburner or a car using nitrous oxide.

This low power state suggests that there is some minimum energy density required for a GN powered unit to properly function. This minimum energy level is vaguely analogous to critical mass in nuclear fission. Above some critical density of GN particles, the GN drive can properly function and extract more particles from its fuel source. Should the particle density fall below this level, so would the drive's efficiency. Eventually the reaction would slow and the drive could potentially "stall out." Physics suggests that there is also an optimal density, above which no more energy can be extracted from the fuel source.

Based on qualitative observations of 3rd and 4th generation Gundams, it is likely that their nominal operation state is somewhere below optimal density. Consequently, they have a built in reserve of power. Such a reserve would account for Trans-Am's radically increased performance. The risk is that by tapping too deeply into this reserve will stall out the drive. A safety interlock would be needed to deactivate Trans-Am before too much energy was drained away from the condensers. Graham Aker's Masurao demonstrates the risk of over taxing the power system.

Celestial Being's Trans-Am system appears to automatically cut off as the mobile suit's energy reserves approach critical density. A mobile suit that is just above critical density would be functional, albeit at a reduced level when compared to normal performance. The GN drive must replenish the GN Condensers to reach optimal density before normal operations can resume.

While all this is purely hypothetical, it provides a model that accounts for all the observed behaviors of Trans-Am.