At CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, scientists have achieved a remarkable feat, albeit for just a fleeting moment—creating gold atoms through particle collisions. This unexpected result came during high-energy collisions of lead nuclei, recorded by the ALICE detector. Although the gold atoms formed briefly, the amount produced is so minuscule that it is invisible to the naked eye. Despite the historic nature of the discovery, scientists stress that the creation of gold was not the experiment’s main goal.
The True Purpose of the Experiment
The main aim of the experiment was to study quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter that existed just after the Big Bang. Scientists are trying to understand this plasma, which is incredibly hot and dense. It is created when heavy atomic nuclei, such as lead, collide at speeds nearing the speed of light.
Though the LHC typically accelerates lighter particles, such as protons, it can also handle much heavier particles like lead ions. These lead ions are over 200 times heavier than protons, allowing scientists to recreate extreme conditions similar to the early universe.
How Lead Became Gold in the LHC
In the collisions, lead nuclei don’t always collide directly. Instead, they pass very close to one another, creating powerful magnetic fields. These fields can disrupt the nuclei, knocking out protons and neutrons from their structure.
In some collisions, if a lead nucleus loses exactly three protons—dropping from 82 to 79 protons—the result is a gold atom. This brief transformation was captured by the ALICE detector, marking a significant scientific observation of lead turning into gold through particle collisions.
Gold at the LHC: A Fascinating but Tiny Discovery
Despite the exciting nature of the discovery, the amount of gold produced is incredibly small. It is too minute to be seen, and it disappears almost instantly after being created. Therefore, while the result may seem like a form of modern alchemy, it will not lead to any practical use of gold.
CERN, the organization behind the research, was quick to clarify that the goal of the experiment was never to create gold. The discovery was an unexpected by-product of studying the behavior of atomic nuclei under extreme conditions.
CERN also had a bit of fun with the results, commenting with a smile that the hopes of medieval alchemists have, once again, been dashed.
The Quest to Understand the Early Universe
The creation of quark-gluon plasma and the subsequent observation of the gold atoms is part of ongoing research at CERN. By studying how atomic nuclei behave in these extreme conditions, scientists can learn more about the universe’s origins and the forces at play shortly after the Big Bang. This research could lead to advancements in various scientific fields, from particle physics to material science.
While the creation of gold might not revolutionize the global economy, it showcases the LHC’s ability to generate unexpected and fascinating results.