Gold is finally made: They collided matter and changed history

According to the article published in Physical Review Journals, in a groundbreaking experiment conducted at CERN, lead ions were collided at speeds close to the speed of light. The extremely strong electromagnetic field created during the collision triggered a nuclear transformation in the lead nucleus.

During this process, 3 of the 82 protons in the lead nucleus were temporarily separated. Thus, the nucleus instantly turned into a structure with 79 protons, namely the gold nucleus. This extraordinary transformation took place in less than a second and ended quickly.

CENTURY-OLD DREAM CAME TRUE IN THE LABORATORY

Throughout history, alchemists have sought ways to transform lead into gold, but it was only later that chemical methods were understood to be inadequate. With the development of nuclear physics and particle science in the 20th century, it was proven that such transformations at the atomic nucleus level were only possible through nuclear reactions.

This experiment, carried out at CERN, revealed that the transformation of lead into gold is no longer just a myth but can be measured scientifically.

HOW DID THE EXPERIMENT TAKE PLACE?

Lead nuclei were accelerated to 99.999993% of the speed of light and collided. The enormous electromagnetic field created during these collisions created vibrations in the structure of the nucleus, initiating a process known as "electromagnetic separation". In this process, a short-lived photon pulse was generated and the protons and neutrons in the nucleus were temporarily separated. With the separation of three protons from the nucleus, the lead atom took on the atomic structure of gold.

"WE HAVE ACHIEVED A HISTORICAL SUCCESS"

Marco Van Leeuwen, spokesman for the ALICE detector team that conducted the experiment, made the following statements about this historic experiment:

"The fact that our detectors can detect large collisions that produce thousands of particles, as well as delicate processes that produce only a few particles, allows us to study electromagnetic nuclear conversion processes in detail. This is very exciting for us."