Scientists Successfully Transform Lead into Gold: Achievement of an Age-Old Alchemist's Goal
Gold Fever:
A groundbreaking scientific triumph has been made at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)'s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), as physicists successfully, albeit temporarily, convert lead into gold! During intense collisions of lead nuclei, these brilliant minds observed the formation of gold nuclei, realizing the age-old alchemical dream through modern physics. This extraordinary endeavor forms part of the ALICE project, offering significant insights into the fundamental forces and conditions present immediately following the Big Bang.
In an article from Physical Review Journals, the ALICE collaboration discusses their measurements that confirm the transmutation of lead into gold in CERN's remarkable Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
With excitement, CERN recently announced the long-sought transformation of the common base metal lead into the coveted precious metal gold, a centuries-old alchemical pursuit referred to as chrysopoeia. Initially, it was the resemblance between lead's dull grey hue and gold's stunning color, coupled with lead's similar density, that fueled the alchemist's desire. As sciences advanced, it became evident that lead and gold are distinct chemical elements, rendering chemical alchemy ineffective for transformation.
With the dawn of nuclear physics in the 20th century, it was discovered that heavy elements could morph into others through either radioactive decay or when bombarded with neutrons or protons. Although artificial gold production has occurred before, the ALICE collaboration is now the first to measure lead to gold transmutation via a novel mechanism involving near-miss collisions between lead nuclei in the LHC.
The Modern Alchemist's Formula
High-Energy Collisions:
Lead ions are accelerated to speeds near light during the collisions, causing a substantial energy release and ejection of particles.
Ultra-Peripheral Collisions:
Some of these collisions occur when lead ions pass close but do not touch, generating intense electromagnetic fields.
Electromagnetic Dissociation:
These electromagnetic fields can lead to interactions with a nucleus, causing it to expel particles, including protons and neutrons. In certain instances, three protons are removed from lead, resulting in gold nuclei.
A Peek at the Universe's Past
- Nuclear Forces: This process demonstrates the manipulation of nuclear forces under extreme conditions, shedding light on nuclear interactions and transformations.
- Electromagnetic Fields: By revealing the part electromagnetic forces play in particle expulsion, we gain insights into the influence these forces have on nuclear structure and reactions.
- Big Bang Aftermath: The experiments, while not directly simulating Big Bang conditions, contribute to scientists' understanding of how matter behaved shortly after the universe's birth by investigating quark-gluon plasma and high-energy collisions. The study of these phenomena at the LHC supports broader objectives in exploring the early universe.
The ALICE Collaboration's Invaluable Contribution
The ALICE experiment at the LHC centers on studying quark-gluon plasma formed in high-energy collisions. The detection of lead-to-gold transmutation highlights the sensitivity and capability of the ALICE detectors to capture rare nuclear processes, expanding our understanding of nuclear physics in extreme conditions.
- The ALICE collaboration's measurements, detailed in Physical Review Journals, confirm the successful transmutation of lead into gold in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, marking a groundbreaking achievement in modern physics and realizing an alchemical dream initiated centuries ago.
- Through the utilization of high-energy collisions, ultra-peripheral collisions, and electromagnetic dissociation, the Modern Alchemist's Formula employed at the LHC has led to the creation of gold nuclei from lead ions, furthering our knowledge of nuclear forces, electromagnetic fields, and the aftermath of the Big Bang.
- By manipulating nuclear forces under extreme conditions and investigating particle expulsion driven by electromagnetic fields, the ALICE experiment at the LHC sheds light on the behavior of matter shortly after the universe's birth, contributing significantly to the broader objectives in exploring the early universe.
- The ALICE collaboration's detection of lead-to-gold transmutation underscores the sensitivity and capability of the ALICE detectors to capture rare nuclear processes occurring in extreme conditions, enhancing our understanding of nuclear physics and offering valuable insights into the study of quark-gluon plasma and high-energy collisions.