Modern Alchemy: CERN Physicists Successfully Transform Lead Into Gold Using Particle Collider
Ancient alchemists dreamed of transforming lead into gold through a mystical process they called “chrysophobia,” believing they could harness an elusive “philosopher’s stone.” Centuries later, modern science at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland, has shown this feat is indeed possible, using particle physics instead of magic.
Recent experiments at the LHC have demonstrated that gold can be created by smashing lead atoms together at incredible speeds—specifically, 99.999993% the speed of light. Between 2015 and 2018, during the collider’s second operational phase, scientists successfully produced around 86 billion gold nuclei. The total yield was still minuscule, equating to merely 29 trillionths of a gram.
These fleeting gold particles existed momentarily before smashing with the collider’s beam pipe and breaking apart. However, even their extremely brief lifespan didn’t escape detection. Marco van Leeuwen, spokesperson for A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE) collaboration, explained the ephemeral creations prove the feasibility of further studies.
“It is impressive to see that our detectors can handle head-on collisions producing thousands of particles while also being sensitive to collisions where only a few particles are produced at a time, enabling the study of rare electromagnetic ‘nuclear transmutation’ processes.”
Historical alchemists weren’t entirely misguided. Inspired by Aristotelian ideas, they observed similarities between gold and lead, believing the heavier metal was simply an “ailing” form of the more precious one.
In reality, gold and lead are neighbors on the periodic table, separated by just three protons. Gold has 79 protons, whereas lead has 82. Modern physics can exploit this proximity by stripping three protons from lead nuclei (alongside some neutrons) to form gold. Further reducing protons results in different metals such as mercury or thallium.
To precisely measure the particles generated inside the collider, physicists utilized ALICE’s sophisticated Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDCs). These sensitive devices track neutrons and protons ejected from billions of high-speed particle interactions each second.
The third and current run of the LHC has proven even more productive, reaching an impressive rate of approximately 89,000 gold nuclei per second—almost double the rate of earlier runs, thanks to increased collision energies.
“This is the first systematic experimental detection and analysis of gold production at the LHC, thanks to ALICE’s specialized ZDC instrumentation,” said Uliana Dmitrieva, a physicist involved in the project.
Although Run 3 has created nearly twice as much gold as Run 2 due to ongoing improvements to the machines, the total still comes to trillions of times less than what would be needed to make a piece of jewelry.
“While the dream of medieval alchemists has technically come true, their hopes of riches have once again been dashed,” CERN stated.
Physicist John Jowett, who was also involved in the experiment, stated that beyond the alchemical novelty, these findings enhance scientists’ understanding of electromagnetic processes, providing practical insights.
“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.”
According to Jiangyong Jia, a physicist at Stony Brook University in New York, lead was detected turning into gold between 2002 and 2004 at another CERN accelerator known as the SPS. However, the most recent tests are at higher energy, have a far better chance of producing gold, and provide far cleaner observations.
Although they have no plans to pursue gold mining as a side business, CERN researchers claim that a greater knowledge of how photons can alter nuclei will enable them to enhance the performance of the LHC. “Understanding such processes is crucial for controlling beam quality and stability,” says Jia.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.