In a groundbreaking experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), CERN scientists have recorded the first-ever transformation of lead into gold. During high-speed collisions of lead nuclei, powerful electromagnetic fields were generated, causing some of the lead nuclei to lose three protons and become gold nuclei. These nuclei were accelerated to nearly the speed of light before impact, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing New Voice.
Across three experimental runs in the latter half of the 2010s, researchers managed to produce approximately 270 billion gold nuclei. This was made possible by the ALICE ZDC detectors, which systematically captured and analyzed the formation of gold nuclei through electromagnetic dissociation.
Though the gold nuclei existed only for a brief moment—vanishing upon impact with elements of the accelerator—their detection marked a significant advancement in nuclear physics. Alongside gold, nuclei of thallium and mercury were also created, indicating the potential to control transmutation processes at the atomic level.
These findings not only validate theoretical models of electromagnetic dissociation but also provide valuable insight into beam loss mechanisms. This knowledge is crucial for improving the efficiency of current and future particle accelerators.
The LHC experiments pave the way for deeper understanding of nuclear reactions and elemental transmutation, representing a major milestone for both fundamental science and its potential applications.
Earlier we wrote about what is the Large Hadron Collider.