1. Re p o r t e r :
G i l l i a n Ma e L .
Re s u l l a r

2. Topic Outline
* De f i n i t i * Ho w d o e s
o n (Wh a t i t wo r k ?
i s (T r a n s m u t
Tr a n s mu t a t i o n )
a t i o n ) * T r a n s mu t
* Hi s t o r y a t i o n i n
*Al c h e my t h e
* Mo d e r n Un i v e r s e
Tr a n s mu
t a t i o n

3. What the FACT?!
Transmutation
* Nu c l e a r
T r a n s mu t a t i o n : (n o u n )
t h e c o n v e r s i o n o f
o n e e l e me n t o r
n u c l i d e i n t o
a n o t h e r e i t h e r
n a t u r a l l y o r
a r t i f i c i a l l y .
* A n u c l e a r r e a c t i o n
(i n w h i c h a n o u t s i d e

4. History: Alchemy ->
Transmutation (Timeline)
* The term t r a n s m u t a t i o n dates
back to a l c h e m y .
* P h i l o s o p h e r ’s St o n e ->
c h r y s o p o e i a (t h e transformation
of base metals i n t o g o l d ).
* Fa l s e a s s u mp t i o n s o f
t u r n i n g b a s i c me t a l s
i n t o g o l d .

5. History: Alchemy ->
Transmutation (Timeline)
* B y t h e 1720s , t h e r e w e r e
n o l o n g e r a n y
r e s p e c t a b l e f i g u r e s
p u r s u i n g t h e p h y s i c a l
t r a n s mu t a t i o n o f
s u b s t a n c e s i n t o g o l d .
* A n t o i n e L a v o i s i e r :
* 18t h c e n t u r y
* r e p l a c e d the alchemical theory of
elements w i t h t h e mo d e r n
t h e o r y o f c h e mi c a l

6. History: Alchemy ->
Transmutation (Timeline)
* F r e d e r i c k So d d y +
E r n e s t Ru t h e r f o r d
* 1901
* Di s c o v e r e d t h a t
r a d i o a c t i v e
t h o r i u m was converting itself
into radium i n 1901
* Di s c o v e r y o f
n u c l e a r f i s s i o n a n d
f u s i o n

7. Artificial Transmutation
* Ma y o c c u r i n
ma c h i n e r y t h a t h a s
e n o u g h e n e r g y t o
c a u s e c h a n g e s i n t h e
n u c l e a r s t r u c t u r e
o f t h e e l e me n t s .
* Ma c h i n e s t h a t c a n
c a u s e a r t i f i c i a l
t r a n s mu t a t i o n
i n c l u d e p a r t i c l e

9. Artificial Transmutation
* Conventional fission power reactors also
cause artificial transmutation, not from the
power of the machine, but by exposing
elements to neutrons produced by a fission
from an artificially
produced n u c l e a r c h a i n
r e a c t i o n .
*A r t i f i c i a l n u c l e a r
t r a n s mu t a t i o n h a s
b e e n c o n s i d e r e d a s a
p o s s i b l e me c h a n i s m

10. Natural Transmutation
* Re s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e
c r e a t i o n o f a l l t h e
c h e mi c a l e l e me n t s
we o b s e r v e
n a t u r a l l y .
* One type of natural transmutation
observable in the present occurs when
certain radioactive elements p r e s e n t
i n n a t u r e
s p o n t a n e o u s l y d e c a y

11. How?
* Na t u r a l , o r
s p o n t a n e o u s , t r a n s mu
t a t i o n o c c u r s i n
u n s t a b l e , r a d i o a c t i v
e e l e me n t s , wh i c h
d e c a y i n t o a s e r i e s
o f o t h e r e l e me n t s
u n t i l a s t a b l e
e l e me n t i s f o r me d .
* Ar t i f i c i a l , o r
i n d u c e d , t r a n s mu t a t i

12. How?
* Mo st n u c l e a r
r e ac t i o n s i n v o l v e
a r ti f i c i a l l y
t r an s mu t i n g
e l eme n t s , a l t h o u g h
s u ch r e a c t i o n s a r e
u s ua l l y r e f e r r e d t o
b y t e r ms d e n o t i n g
t h e s p e c i f i c n a t u r e
o f t h e p r o c e s s

13. How?
* Pa r t i c l e a c c e l e r a t o r s
ma y b e u s e d t o b o mb a r d
e l e me n t s wi t h a l p h a
p a r t i c l e s (t w o p r o t o n s
a n d t wo
n e u t r o n s ), d e u t e r o n s
(o n e p r o t o n a n d o n e
n e u t r o n ), o r n u c l e i o f
a t o ms o f e l e me n t s s u c h
a s c a r b o n o r b o r o n . I n
t h e s e c a s e s , s o me o r a l l
o f t h e p r o t o n s i n t h e

14. How?
* I n a n u c l e a r
r e a c t o r , t h e t a r g e t
n u c l e u s i s
b o mb a r d e d wi t h
n e u t r o n s , c a u s i n g
t h e n u c l e i t o
f i s s i o n (s p l i t ) o r
me r e l y t o b e c o me
r a d i o a c t i v e . (T h e
r a d i o a c t i v e n u c l e i

16. Transmutation in the
Universe
* Th e Bi g Ba n g =
t h o u g h t to the be the origin of
the hydrogen (including
all d e u t e r i u m) a n d
h e l i u m i n t h e
u n i v e r s e .
* T h e Big Bang also produced small
amounts of lithium, beryllium and
perhaps b o r o n . Mo r e
l i t h i u m, b e r y l l i u m

17. Transmutation in the
Universe
* The Solar System i s t h o u g h t t o
h a v e c o n d e n s e d
a p p r o x i ma t e l y 4.6
b i l l i o n y e a r s b e f o r e
t h e p r e s e n t , f r o m a
c l o u d o f h y d r o g e n a n d
h e l i u m c o n t a i n i n g
h e a v i e r e l e me n t s i n
d u s t g r a i n s f o r me d
p r e v i o u s l y b y a l a r g e

18. Transmutation in the
Universe
* Most natural transmutation on the Earth today
is mediated by c o s m i c r a y s
a n d by the radioactive decay of
radioactive primordial nuclides l e f t
o v e r f r o m t h e i n i t i a l
f o r ma t i o n o f t h e
s o l a r s y s t e m (s u c h a s
p o t a s s i u m -40, u r a n i u m
a n d t h o r i u m ), p l u s t h e
r a d i o a c t i v e d e c a y o f
p r o d u c t s o f t h e s e