Did CERN scientists just crack the alchemical process of transmuting lead into gold?
CERN’s LHC Creates Gold Through Electromagnetic Dissociation
The CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has achieved a form of modern alchemy by creating gold nuclei from lead ion collisions. This occurs through a process called electromagnetic dissociation, where:
- Ultra-peripheral collisions between lead (208Pb) ion beams cause photons to interact with nuclei
- These interactions excite oscillations in the nuclear structure
- When three protons and multiple neutrons are ejected from a lead nucleus, gold (203Au) is produced
Key findings from the ALICE detector research:
- Gold production occurs at approximately 89,000 nuclei per second during lead-lead collisions
- During LHC’s Run 2 (2015-2018), about 86 billion gold nuclei were created
- This amounts to only 29 picograms (2.9 × 10-11 g) of gold in total
- Run 3 nearly doubled this production, but the amount remains trillions of times less than needed for practical applications
The research demonstrates ALICE’s remarkable detection capabilities, handling both intense collisions producing thousands of particles and sensitive measurements of rare processes where only a few particles are produced. While this technically fulfills ancient alchemists’ dreams of turning one element into another, the microscopic quantities produced would disappoint anyone hoping for riches.
The study also helps test and improve theoretical models of electromagnetic dissociation, which are important for understanding beam losses and improving performance in current and future colliders.
https://phys.org/news/2025-05-alice-conversion-gold-large-hadron.html