Scientists Turn Lead into Gold for a Split Second, Share Findings

• Medieval alchemists spent centuries trying to turn lead into gold, but their methods never succeeded
• Now, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider have briefly achieved this feat by smashing lead ions together at near-light speed
• Though the gold atoms existed for only a microsecond, this groundbreaking experiment showcases the incredible capabilities of modern physics

Medieval alchemists spent centuries trying to transmute lead into gold, but their efforts proved futile.

Lead was a popular choice for their experiments because of its physical similarities to gold, including atomic mass, USA Today confirms.

While lead contains 82 protons in its nucleus, gold has 79. Despite these similarities, the elusive transformation remained beyond their reach.

How the large hadron collider made gold

Physicists at CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, took an entirely different approach.

Using the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle accelerator ever built, they crashed beams of lead ions into each other at near-light speed. Some of these ions collided directly, while others experienced near-misses.

In these close encounters, a fascinating reaction occurred—known as electromagnetic dissociation.

The lead nucleus emitted an intense electromagnetic field, causing its nucleus to vibrate and eject three of its protons. This loss of protons turned the lead atom into a gold atom.

Gold atoms that only existed for a microsecond

Although the process successfully created gold, it was far from practical for production.

Researchers estimate that four major experiments conducted between 2015 and 2018 generated approximately 86 billion gold nuclei, equivalent to only 29 trillionths of a gram.

Most of these gold atoms existed for just one microsecond before breaking apart or colliding with experimental apparatus, according to Nature.

Understanding the large hadron collider

The Large Hadron Collider is an immense ring of superconducting magnets and machines stretching nearly 17 miles in circumference.

Located 575 feet underground northwest of Geneva, the collider was completed in 2008 after a decade of construction.

It has played a pivotal role in groundbreaking discoveries, including the Higgs boson in 2012, a particle essential to understanding how elementary particles acquire mass.

By colliding high-speed beams of protons and ions, the collider allows scientists to explore conditions similar to those present a millionth of a second after the Big Bang.

These collisions provide invaluable insights into the fundamental nature of matter and the forces governing the universe.

CERN reported the findings on 8 May, demonstrating that while alchemy failed, modern physics briefly achieved what medieval alchemists only dreamed of.

Scientists predict when Earth will no longer exist

Legit.ng earlier reported that a new study has claimed that Earth would experience a mass extinction in 250 million years, eradicating all mammals - even if fossil fuel emissions were to cease immediately.

Researchers at the University of Bristol used computer simulations to predict that lifeforms would struggle to survive with extreme temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees Celsius.

According to DailyMail UK, carbon dioxide levels are expected to double, making it impossible for species, including humans, to regulate body heat through sweat.

Source: Legit.ng