Believe it or not, scientists have turned lead into gold. It happened at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator.
Scientists Achieve Modern Alchemy: Transforming Lead into Gold!
Ever dreamed of turning lead into gold, like the alchemists of old? Scientists at CERN have achieved just that, sort of! While they haven’t struck it rich, their experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is still incredibly cool. It shows us the amazing power of nuclear physics and opens new avenues for understanding the universe.
A Modern Marvel of Nuclear Physics
Forget bubbling potions and mystical incantations! This alchemy relies on powerful particle collisions. Specifically, the LHC accelerates lead ions to nearly the speed of light. When these ions pass incredibly close to each other (a near miss!), powerful electromagnetic forces come into play. These forces are so strong, they can strip protons from the lead nuclei, transforming them into other elements.
From Lead into Gold
In this case, the loss of three protons turns lead (82 protons) into gold (79 protons). When a photon interacts with a lead nucleus, it initiates what is called electromagnetic dissociation. This process causes loss of protons from the nucleus; in one instance, removing three protons forms gold atoms! Researchers confirmed that during their studies from 2015-2018, about 86 billion nuclei were created in this magical process. The gold atoms exist only for a fraction of a second before decaying into other particles.
Billions of Atoms, No Gold Rush
Although the LHC produces roughly 89,000 gold nuclei per second, don’t expect a gold rush anytime soon. The amount of gold created is incredibly tiny, far too little to make even a tiny piece of jewelry. However, this achievement is still significant. Mostly, it demonstrates the fundamental forces governing the universe and the possibilities of future colliders.
Beyond Gold: The Bigger Picture
Furthermore, this research isn’t just about making gold. It’s about refining our understanding of electromagnetic dissociation and improving the models used to predict beam losses in particle accelerators. This is vital for the future of particle physics experiments, paving the way for even bigger and better discoveries.
Testing Theories and Improving Technology
Importantly, these results provide crucial data to test existing theoretical models. By studying the details of this process, researchers can refine their knowledge of how atomic nuclei interact at extremely high energies. This, in turn, improves the design and operation of powerful colliders like the LHC. Further, optimizing their performance for future experiments. Ultimately, this research pushes the boundaries of our understanding of the fundamental building blocks of matter.
Reference
- Acharya, S., Agarwal, A., Rinella, G. A., Aglietta, L., Agnello, M., Agrawal, N., Ahammed, Z., Ahmad, S., . . . Zurlo, N. (2025). Proton emission in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV. Physical Review. C, 111(5). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevc.111.054906
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Neha Adikane holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Pune University, bringing a unique blend of scientific expertise and creative writing skills to her craft. She specializes in creating engaging, insightful, and impactful content across various niches. With a passion for translating complex ideas into simple, relatable narratives, she excels at crafting blogs, articles, website content, and social media posts that captivate readers and drive engagement. Neha’s background in environmental science adds depth to her writing, allowing her to effectively cover topics related to sustainability, eco-awareness, and scientific innovations.