In a breakthrough that would envious medieval alchemists, scientists at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider have successfully transformed lead into gold, producing 89,000 atoms per second.
Unlike traditional experiments that involve direct collisions of lead atoms, the ALICE team employed a unique method.
By analyzing near-miss interactions where lead atoms narrowly avoid collision, researchers observed how powerful electromagnetic fields induce atomic transformations.
According to ABC, these fields, generated during these grazing encounters, cause lead atoms to shed three protons, effectively converting them into gold atoms.
Marco Van Leeuwen, the ALICE project leader, highlighted the versatility of their detectors: “It’s impressive that our detectors can handle both major collisions that create thousands of particles and these smaller events that make just a few particles at a time.”
Between 2015 and 2018, the LHC produced approximately 86 billion gold atoms. While this number appears staggering, the total mass amounts to just 29 picograms—less than a trillionth of a gram.
To put this into perspective, creating even a minuscule piece of jewelry would require trillions of times more gold.
The LHC generates about 89,000 gold atoms per second, but each atom exists for only a fleeting moment before decaying. Recent upgrades have nearly doubled the production rate, yet practical applications remain out of reach.
Scientific Significance
Uliana Dmitrieva, a scientist with the ALICE collaboration, emphasized the novelty of this discovery:
“Thanks to the unique capabilities of the ALICE ZDCs, the present analysis is the first to systematically detect and analyse the signature of gold production at the LHC experimentally.” This marks a significant milestone in experimental particle physics.
John Jowett, another team member, underscored the broader implications:
“The results also test and improve theoretical models of electromagnetic dissociation, which, beyond their intrinsic physics interest, are used to understand and predict beam losses that are a major limit on the performance of the LHC and future colliders.”
