Physicists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have achieved a feat akin to the dreams of seventeenth-century alchemists by turning lead into gold, albeit momentarily. This transmutation occurs when lead ions collide at incredibly high speeds, creating bursts of energy capable of ejecting protons from lead nuclei. An analysis of data from the LHC revealed that between 2015 and 2018, these collisions produced approximately 86 billion gold nuclei, amounting to around 29 trillionths of a gram. However, these gold atoms are unstable and last only a microsecond before disintegrating.
The LHC researchers turned lead into gold by colliding lead ions, which creates a pulse of energy that can eject protons, transforming lead into gold.
CERN scientists created approximately 86 billion gold nuclei from lead collisions, translating to about 29 trillionths of a gram, showcasing a breakthrough in particle physics.
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