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Scientists at CERN Create Gold from Lead

Why in the News?

In a recent breakthrough at CERN’s ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), scientists observed that near-collisions of lead ions in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) can result in the formation of gold atoms and other novel nuclei.

How was Lead converted into Gold?

  • In ultra-peripheral collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, lead atoms passed close without touching, creating strong electromagnetic fields.
  • These fields released photons that caused some lead atoms to lose 3 protons and 2 neutrons, transforming them into gold-203.
  • Between 2015–2018, 86 billion gold atoms were created—just 29 picograms—scientifically important but not commercially valuable.

About the Large Hadron Collider (LHC):

  • The LHC has been working since September 2008 and is the world’s largest particle accelerator.
  • Development: Between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists, and hundreds of universities and laboratories across more than 100 countries.
  • Location: It lies in a 27-kilometre tunnel under the France–Switzerland border, near Geneva, and is operated by CERN.
  • Purpose: It smashes protons or lead atoms together to help scientists study the smallest building blocks of the universe.
  • Working Mechanism: About 9,600 magnets guide particles in a circle using strong magnetic fields.
  • Speed: Particles travel at 99.999999% the speed of light, creating conditions like the Big Bang.
  • Particles Studied: The LHC focuses on quarks (which come in six types) and gluons, which hold quarks together using the strong nuclear force.
  • Members: 24 countries spans across the Europe. Japan and US are Observer.
  • India and LHC: 
    • India signed a cooperation agreement with CERN in 1991 and joined its Large Hadron Collider project in 1996; it became an Associate Member in 2016 after gaining Observer status in 2002.
    • India also helped design LHC components such as superconducting magnets, cryogenic systems, and accelerator protection systems.

About the ALICE Experiment:

  • ALICE is designed to study heavy-ion collisions, mainly using lead atoms.
  • Objective: It recreates matter similar to that formed just after the Big Bang, helping us understand the early universe.
  • Detection Range: ALICE can study both large particle blasts and rare, low-energy events with high precision.
  • Size and Setup: It weighs 10,000 tons, measures 26 × 16 × 16 metres, and sits 56 metres underground.
  • Members: As of 2024, ALICE includes over 1,900 scientists from 174 institutes across 39 countries, including India.
  • India’s Contribution: Key instruments like the Photon Multiplicity Detector for ALICE and the Hadron Outer Calorimeter for CMS.

 

[UPSC 2009] In the year 2008, which one of the following conducted a complex scientific experiment in which sub-atomic particles were accelerated to nearly the speed of light?

Options: (a) European Space Agency (b) European Organization for Nuclear Research* (c) International Atomic Energy Agency (d) National Aeronautics and Space administration

 

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