CERN Scientists Turned Lead Into Gold – Just for a Microsecond!
There was a time when alchemists, that is, old-time chemical scientists, dreamed of turning cheap lead (Pb) into expensive gold (Au). And now, 21st century physicists have done this feat – but in a modern scientific way, and just for a microsecond!
Where did this miracle happen?
This unique experiment took place in Europe’s famous particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is located near Geneva, Switzerland under CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). The LHC is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, where scientists accelerate ions to speeds close to the speed of light.
At one point in each experimental run, the LHC collides lead ions with each other. During this collision, an unusual phenomenon occurs: when two lead ions pass very close to each other without colliding, the electromagnetic fields around them are so strong that they overlap.
How is gold made from lead?
The main difference between lead and gold is the number of protons in their nucleus. Lead has 82 protons in its nucleus, while gold has 79. Ancient alchemists could not make up for this difference through chemical reactions. But CERN physicists did it using nuclear physics.
When high-speed lead ions pass each other, the electromagnetic field of one ion has such a strong effect on the nucleus of the other that the nucleus loses 3 protons – and in the same moment, a nucleus of gold is formed!
ALICE experiment did it amazing
Many experiments are carried out at LHC, but ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a special detector system that can filter and capture such rare events. The ALICE team analysed data from 2015 to 2018, and estimated that about 86 billion gold nuclei were created – but they were only 29 trillionths of a gram in size! And these gold atoms were alive for just a microsecond, after which they either got hit by the apparatus or broke down.
ALICE physicist Uliana Dmitrieva says that “this is the first time that the gold production at LHC has been systematically detected and analysed.
This magic had happened before as well
This is not the first time gold has been made from lead. Between 2002 and 2004, CERN’s other accelerator SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron) also recorded such events. But the analysis of ALICE was more high-energy, clean and accurate. Stony Brook University physicist Jiangyong Jia says that there is a high probability of gold formation in the new experiments and the observations are also clear.
Plan to make commercial gold? Absolutely not!
You must be thinking, is CERN going to make and sell gold now? Absolutely not! This process is so expensive and gives so little output that it is useless for commercial use. Despite this, this experiment is very valuable for physicists. Jiangyong Jia says, “Understanding such processes is very important for beam quality and stability of the accelerator.”
What is its scientific significance?
This experiment shows us how atomic nuclei behave under extreme energy conditions. Understanding photon-induced reactions in which the nucleus transforms will help in particle physics and the design of future accelerators.
A journey from Alchemy to Science
The dream of turning lead into gold is no longer just a story. CERN has shown that science, when combined with advanced tools and deep understanding, can do what was once considered magic. Of course, this gold is not going to go into the bank locker – but this is definitely a golden moment in the world of science!
This was the truth of modern-day alchemy! The journey from science fiction to science fact was only for a microsecond – but it turned into true gold!