David Bridges
The groundbreaking achievement of medieval alchemy, which sought to transform base metals into precious ones, has recently been momentarily realized by scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, commonly referred to as CERN. These innovative researchers successfully converted lead into gold using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the most powerful particle accelerator in existence. Contrary to the fantastical portrayals of transmutation found in popular culture, the experiments conducted with the LHC involve colliding subatomic particles at incredibly high speeds, allowing scientists to manipulate the physical properties of lead to momentarily become gold.
In its operations, the LHC frequently collides lead ions to recreate conditions resembling the extremely hot and dense matter that existed shortly after the Big Bang. During these complex analyses, CERN scientists observed instances where lead nuclei could shed neutrons or protons. Given that lead contains only three more protons than gold, there are specific circumstances under which the LHC facilitates the loss of protons from lead atoms, transforming them into gold atoms, albeit for a fleeting moment, before they rapidly disintegrate into various particles.
The remarkable success of these experiments would likely astonish ancient alchemists, yet the trials conducted from 2015 to 2018 resulted in the production of merely 29 picograms of gold, as reported by CERN. Recently, advancements in technology have allowed for the generation of nearly twice that amount; however, the total remains trillions of times less than the quantity required for any usable jewelry. Instead of focusing on the pursuit of wealth, the scientists at CERN are primarily dedicated to exploring the fundamental interactions that lead to this fascinating transmutation process.
Marco Van Leeuwen, the spokesperson for the A Large Ion Collider Experiment project at the LHC, remarked, “It is impressive to see that our detectors can handle head-on collisions producing thousands of particles, while also being sensitive to collisions where only a few particles are produced at a time, enabling the study of electromagnetic ‘nuclear transmutation’ processes.” This statement highlights the advanced capabilities of the LHC in examining the intricate details of nuclear physics and particle collisions, paving the way for further discoveries in the field.
Brandon Fletcher
