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Context:

ALICE detects rare lead-to-gold nuclear transmutation at CERN’s LHC using high-energy ion collisions.

News in Detail

Scientists at CERN, a major research organization in Switzerland, use the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s biggest particle accelerator, to smash small particles together at incredible speeds.

One of their experiments, called ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) confirmed that lead can turn into gold through a process called nuclear transmutation.

The ALICE team observed this transformation during special collisions of lead particles, producing small amounts of gold that disappear in a fraction of a second.

What Is Chrysopoeia?

Long ago, medieval alchemists dreamed of turning cheap metals like lead into precious gold, a process they called chrysopoeia. They noticed lead and gold have similar densities (how heavy they are for their size), so they thought it might be possible.

However, modern science shows that lead and gold are different chemical elements—lead has 82 protons in its nucleus, while gold has 79. Nuclear physics, which studies the nucleus of atoms, can make it happen by altering the number of protons. CERN’s experiment proves this ancient dream is possible.

How Does the Transmutation Work?

The LHC speeds up lead nuclei (the core of lead atoms) to nearly the speed of light. In the ALICE experiment, scientists don’t crash these nuclei head-on. Instead, they make them pass very close to each other in what’s called ultra-peripheral collisions.

The ALICE detector is a high-tech tool designed to study particle collisions. To catch the lead-to-gold transformation, ALICE uses Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDCs), which are like super-sensitive cameras.

What Is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)?

It is a 27-kilometer-long underground ring on the border of France and Switzerland. Inside, powerful magnets and accelerators push particles like protons or lead nuclei to almost the speed of light. Two beams travel in opposite directions and collide at four points, where detectors like ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb analyze the results.

The LHC tests theories about the universe, like the Standard Model of particle physics, which explains how particles and forces work together. It is famous for confirming the Higgs boson in 2013, a particle that gives other particles mass.

About CERN

CERN, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research, operates the LHC. It was founded in 1954, it is a collaboration of 23 member countries and 10 associate members, including India. It brings scientists together to study the building blocks of the universe.

Source:

PHYS

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided:

Assertion (A): Without the Higgs field, atoms would not exist.

Reason (R): The Higgs field gives mass to electrons, allowing them to bind with protons to form atoms.

Which of the options given below is correct?

A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation for A.

B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation for A.

C) A is true, but R is false.

D) A is false, but R is true.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Assertion (A): Without the Higgs field, atoms would not exist. This is true. The Higgs field plays a fundamental role in giving mass to elementary particles, which is essential for the formation of atoms.

Reason (R): The Higgs field gives mass to electrons, allowing them to bind with protons to form atoms. This is also true. The Higgs field does give mass to electrons, and this mass is crucial for them to be bound to the nucleus by the electromagnetic force, forming atoms.

The reason correctly explains the assertion. If electrons were massless (as they would be without the Higgs field), they would not interact with the electromagnetic field in the same way and would not be able to bind with protons to form stable atoms.