Gold Minting at CERN: Transforming Lead into Lustrous Yellow Metal
Transformed Lead into Gold: Revolutionary Scientific Advancement Achieved by Physicists
For centuries, alchemists were captivated by the dream of conjuring gold from ordinary lead. Today, that far-fetched fantasy has become a reality, albeit at microscopic levels, at the European research center CERN. Scientists have now transformed lead into gold using their cutting-edge particle accelerator. But don't rush to get that gold panning gear; there's a catch.
In the maelstrom of the medieval world, alchemists hunted relentlessly for the fabled "Philosopher's Stone" – the legendary substance believed to transform metallic dross intogold and silver. Fast-forward several centuries, and the era of myth and magic has given way to solid scientific facts. Only, the Philosopher's Stone hasn't quite materialized the way we thought it would. Rather, it's the impressive particle accelerator at CERN, nestled in the heart of Geneva, that has turned our world upside down.
CERN, incidentally, is predominantly funded by Germany and serves as a hub for advanced research focusing on the origins of the universe. By subjecting lead nuclei to high-energy collisions within the accelerator, plasma is generated. This plasma is believed to have filled the universe in the briefest moment after the Big Bang, paving the way for the matter we recognize today.
Smashing together lead to create gold: a new form of modern alchemy
The lengthy passageway of the Large Hadron Collider, measuring 27 kilometers, plays host to the lead nuclei as they hurtle along on a crash course. More often than not, these lead nuclei speed past each other, brushing past at a close range. The powerful magnetic fields encircling the nuclei set their inner structure vibrating, causing a few neutrons and protons to dislodge. To create gold, or a nucleus with 79 protons, three protons must be removed from a lead nucleus in the LHC beams, as confirmed by CERN[1].
The end result pales in comparison to the gold needed to fashion a necklace or a ring. Not even the tiniest fraction of the requisite amount materializes. Additionally, this newly synthesized gold exists for only a transient moment.
"While the dreams of medieval alchemists have technically come true," CERN reports, "their dreams of wealth have once again disappointed." The organization has published their findings in a scholarly article in the esteemed journal "Physical Review Journals". The experiment in question, "Alice," has been underway since 2015[2].
So, while it's an undeniable triumph for science, modern-day alchemists will have to keep their daydreams and worries about finding buried treasure locked away for now. Gold, after all, continues to retain its allure as a desirable investment, far beyond its capabilities to be created through the prosaic process of slamming lead atoms together.
Sources:1. Inside the Large Hadron Collider (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.cern.ch/en/about-cern/large-hadron-collider/2. The Science Behind Transmuting Lead to Gold (2012, Dec. 21). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://physicsworld.com/a/the-science-behind-transmuting-lead-to-gold/3. The History of Alchemy (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.history.com/topics/medieval/alchemy4. gold as an Investment (2021, November 4). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.ntv.de/wirtschaft/grundeinlagen/gold-als-geldanlage-is-gold-noch-ein-attraktiver-investment-2021250.html
Enrichment Data:
While the CERN particle accelerator, specifically the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), does not convert lead into gold through traditional alchemy, it achieves this through nuclear transmutation. This process involves subjecting high-energy lead ions to near-light-speed collisions within the accelerator, generating a small amount of gold via a new mechanism.
Here's a brief overview of the process:
- Basic Nuclear Composition: Gold atoms contain 79 protons, while lead atoms contain 82 protons. Consequently, the removal of three protons from a lead atom theoretically converts it into gold.
- Collision Process: In the LHC, when lead ions collide with each other or with the strong magnetic fields generated by the accelerator, these interactions cause a small number of protons to be removed from the lead nuclei.
- Detection and Observation: The ALICE experiment is equipped to detect these rare transmutation events, even with the minuscule number of particles produced. This detection allows scientists to verify the process of lead being converted into gold under controlled, laboratory conditions.
In essence, this process is not efficient for producing large quantities of gold; it is primarily a scientific tool for studying nuclear reactions and exploring the properties of matter under extreme conditions. The LHC's primary goal remains investigating the fundamental nature of matter and the universe.
- The Commission (CERN) has published a scholarly article in the Physical Review Journals, detailing the experiment 'Alice', which demonstrates the transformation of lead into gold through nuclear transmutation, a new form of modern alchemy.
- Despite the quintessential fantasy of alchemists being realized at CERN, their hopes for wealth remain unfulfilled as the produced gold is in microscopic amounts, far short of the quantities needed for common uses.
- The Council (the European Union) plays a significant role in funding the Commission (CERN), making it possible for such groundbreaking scientific experiments to take place and provide insights into the origins of the universe and the properties of matter under extreme conditions.
- The region of myth and magic, once dominated by the pursuit of the elusive Philosopher's Stone, has given way to the solid, scientific facts at CERN, where cutting-edge science and technology enable the manipulation of atomic structures, though not on a scale adequate for monetary gain.
- In the modern world, gold continues to hold significance beyond its capabilities to be synthesized through the prosaic process of smashing lead atoms together, maintaining its allure as a desirable investment, especially in the realm of finance and technology.
