Physicists at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland accidentally produced gold while smashing lead atoms together at near-light speeds, according to a report in The Independent.
How did they do it?
The feat was achieved by creating an extremely powerful electric field, strong enough to strip protons from lead nuclei, effectively transforming them into gold.
This was, of course, the dream of Medieval alchemists. Today, we know that lead and gold are different elements, and no amount of chemistry is going to turn one into the other. But our modern knowledge also tells us the basic difference between an atom of lead and an atom of gold is a matter of protons: the lead atom contains exactly three more protons. So, to create a gold atom, it simply requires pulling three protons out of a lead atom. Simple, right?
Not quite, and there’s no need to fear the price of gold is about to crash.
The physicists working on the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider were trying to smash lead atoms into each other at extremely high speeds in an effort to mimic the state of the universe just after the Big Bang. But when they miss during such experiments and one lead nucleus zooms by another, the electric field between them is huge. The rapidly changing field between the nuclei makes them vibrate and occasionally spit out some protons. If one of them spits out exactly three protons, the lead nucleus has turned into gold. But extremely small amounts, in fact: a total of some 29 trillionths of a gram.
Is it a viable way of "making" gold?
Given the multi-billion-dollar cost of building a collider, the hundreds of millions it takes every year to run one, and the output — a handful of gold atoms — it’s probably the most-expensive, least-efficient gold production method imaginable – and makes gold at $5,000 an ounce look like a bargain.
Diamond Jim is a master jeweler, diamond dealer, and precious metals broker. Pineforest Jewelry has been a proud member of the Independent Jewelers Organization and the Retail Jewelers Organization for many years. See more at: www.pineforestjewelry.com.