Tyken's Rift

A Tyken's Rift is a spatial anomaly named for Captain Bela Tyken after the first recorded encounter with the phenomenon. Tyken's Rifts can trap starships. 

History
The [Melthusian]] captain Bela Tyken encountered a Tyken's Rift at some point in the 24th century or earlier. The rift trapped his ship but he was able to escape by creating a massive explosion using his cargo of anicium and yurium.

In 2367, USS Brattain became trapped in a Tyken's Rift. Suffering from REM sleep depravation, the crew became homicidal and killed each other. Shortly after, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) almost suffered the same fate. With the assistance of an alien being trapped there as well, the Enterprise managed to break free. 

By 2409, Tyken's Rifts had been weaponized. Starfleet, KDF and Romulan Republican science officers trained with the ability were able to employ a ship's main deflector to generate a Tyken's Rift and aiming it at an enemy vessel. This would create a several hundred meter large, bright red fissure in space, sucking power from the afflicted object and damaging it slightly. Gravimetric scientists had a chance to generate more than one Tyken's Rift at a time. Artificial Tyken's Rifts endured for less than a minute.