Lead Transmutation: A Modern Alchemical Breakthrough at CERN
By Elizabeth Gibney & Nature magazine
While experiments at the LHC don’t produce large gold nuggets, they can generate temporary gold ions from lead at the atomic level.
Credit: slowmotiongli/Getty Images
A Historical Perspective
The aspiration of transforming lead into gold—a dream cherished by alchemists of the 17th century—has found a modern echo at CERN, home to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Although this transformation lasts only for a mere fraction of a second, it represents a significant step in our understanding of nuclear physics.
Mechanism of Transmutation
Located near Geneva, Switzerland, the LHC engages in high-energy collisions between lead ions, generating extraordinary conditions. Rather than colliding head-on, the ions occasionally divert past one another. This interaction creates a powerful electromagnetic field that can strip protons from a lead nucleus, effectively converting it into gold.
Scientific Methodology and Findings
Between 2015 and 2018, researchers conducting experiments with the ALICE detector at the LHC documented the creation of approximately 86 billion gold nuclei. This amounted to an incredibly small mass of about 29 trillionths of a gram. The ephemeral gold atoms typically existed for around one microsecond before a combination of collisions and decay resulted in their destruction.
Significance of the Research
Permanent gold creation is not the objective at CERN; however, the findings offer valuable insights into fundamental particles and nuclear activities. Uliana Dmitrieva, a physicist and member of the ALICE collaboration, emphasized that this study is the first of its kind to thoroughly identify and analyze the production of gold through such experimental means.
Previous Research
This is not the first instance of lead-to-gold transformation. An earlier CERN accelerator, the SPS, successfully recorded similar events from 2002 to 2004. However, advancements in the LHC allow for higher energy collisions, increasing the likelihood of gold creation and facilitating more detailed observations.
Looking Ahead
While the prospect of manufacturing gold is not on CERN’s agenda, researchers believe that understanding these fundamental processes is essential for enhancing the operational efficiency of the LHC. Jiangyong Jia, a physicist at Stony Brook University, stated that gaining knowledge about these nuclear interactions is critical for improving beam quality and stability in future experiments.
