Scientists Successfully Synthesize Gold in a Lab, Yet Encounter a Potential Hurdle
In a groundbreaking scientific achievement, physicists have managed to create gold in laboratories by transmuting other elements, most notably mercury, using particle accelerators and nuclear reactions. This process, known as nuclear transmutation, involves changing the nucleus of an atom by adding or removing protons or neutrons to convert it into another element.
One of the methods used is high-energy neutron bombardment, produced by fusion reactions such as deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion. These neutrons, which are energetic enough to induce nuclear reactions, can convert mercury isotopes into gold isotopes by neutron capture and subsequent nuclear decay processes.
Particle accelerators can also generate high-energy protons that produce neutrons via spallation reactions. These neutrons are then used to irradiate a target element like mercury. However, accelerator-generated neutrons tend to be fewer and less energetic compared to fusion neutrons, making fusion reactors more promising for scalable transmutation.
The process involves complex nuclear reactions where mercury nuclei absorb neutrons, undergo beta decay or other nuclear processes, and eventually result in an isotope of gold. However, it's important to note that sometimes, radioactive gold isotopes are produced, which require time to decay to stable forms.
Nobel Prize-winning chemist Glenn Seaborg was among those who successfully transmuted elements in a laboratory setting. He converted atoms of bismuth into gold at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in the 1980s by bombarding bismuth with carbon nuclei using a particle accelerator.
Despite these scientific breakthroughs, creating gold in a lab through nuclear reactions remains highly inefficient and essentially pointless as an enterprise due to the colossal quantities of energy required. It would require millions of dollars of energy and equipment to create a few measly dollars' worth of synthetic gold.
Moreover, the artificially produced gold may initially be radioactive, adding an extra layer of complexity to the process. As a result, laboratory-created gold is more of a fascinating scientific achievement than a practical method of gold production.
The creation of gold in laboratories is a testament to humanity's ongoing quest to understand and manipulate the fundamental forces of nature. While it may not lead to a gold rush anytime soon, it offers valuable insights into the nature of matter and the possibilities of nuclear transmutation.
References: [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0375947415006232 [2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0375947414010277 [3] https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10903 [4] https://www.britannica.com/science/nuclear-transmutation [5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021850802009261
Space-and-astronomy and technology played crucial roles in the recent scientific achievement of creating gold in laboratories, using particle accelerators and fusion reactions to produce neutrons for nuclear transmutation. Scientists like Glenn Seaborg have utilized these advanced technologies to convert other elements, such as bismuth into gold, demonstrating the immense potential of science and technology in understanding and manipulating the nature of matter.
