Collector Particle Beam

Upgrade Entry
Precise and lethal, this focused-radiation weapon is very effective against shields, barriers and armor.

The amount of energy required to create a destructive beam is several orders of magnitude more than the energy required to launch a physical projectile at high velocity via a mass effect field.

The weapon you retrieved appears to be a beam weapon of Collector origin, but efforts to understand the technology and replicate it have failed. With enough research, Normandy's engineers may be able to produce beam weapons, perhaps on a larger scale.

Codex Entry
The Collectors' particle beam weapon is strangely crafted, possessing few moving pieces, lacking any obvious means for disassembly, and containing organic parts. The amount of energy required to create a destructive beam is several orders of magnitude more than the energy required to launch a physical projectile at high velocity via a mass effect field. Lacking any clear ammunition or fuel source, the device likely uses heat sinks or compensators to maintain firing during sustained combat. Current Cerberus efforts to understand the technology and replicate it have failed.