Research starts with PhD students

Chapter 264 Gold is manufactured successfully! Liu Xu: Professor Zhang Shuo is indeed not an ordinary person!

Ion cannon research base.

Liu Xu warmly entertained Zhang Shuo and his party, took them to see the most complete ion cannon prototype, introduced the performance of the ion cannon in detail, and visited the information and data room.

The detailed parameters of the ion cannon are also introduced in the middle.

Zhang Shuo was very interested in the debris detection data left after the ion cannon attack, and he read several detailed reports.

While reading a report, Liu Xu couldn't help but hesitate and said, "Professor Zhang Shuo, why are you here this time..."

“I want to see if the new research is feasible.”

"What research?"

"Using nuclear fission to create precious metal materials."

After Zhang Shuo finished speaking, he looked at Liu Xu.

Liu Xu understood it immediately, and then hesitantly said, "This...is not feasible?"

"Have you tried it?"

“Tried!”

Liu Xu nodded seriously and explained, "The splitting of the nuclear force of the atomic nucleus can change the properties of the elements."

“We initially wondered if we could detect precious metals in the residue, but we didn’t find any at all.”

"We have also conducted targeted experiments, placing large amounts of mercury compounds at targeted locations in the hope of producing gold."

"After several experiments, we found that the content of gold in the residue was extremely low, even negligible."

He was very sure about this, and it was obvious that he had done more than one experiment.

Several other researchers also spoke up, "We've tried it several times, and it doesn't work at all."

"In theory, large atoms are less affected by the reaction, and when the intensity is low, the mercury element will not change."

"If the intensity is high, it will be difficult to control. Mercury will be affected, but the reaction ratio cannot be controlled..."

The group of people talked for a long time.

During the experimental stage of the ion cannon, they tried to see if they could produce precious metals, and each experiment carried out a detailed test of the residues. They found that large atoms were little affected by the reaction. They also tried high-intensity situations. As a result, during a high-intensity bombardment, the mercury element was greatly affected, but the gold element produced was so scarce that not even a gram was produced.

When the intensity of the ion cannon firing is high, the cost will also increase greatly. Add to that the loss of equipment and energy. Even if 100 grams of gold elements are produced at one time, it is still a loss-making business.

Zhang Shuo listened patiently and nodded, then said, "I just want to try it. It would be great if we can develop this technology."

"We thought of it right from the beginning," Liu Xu said. "Precious metal manufacturing. If we can manufacture it directly, it can directly change the world and bring in endless profits."

While talking to Liu Xu, Zhang Shuo also set up a task - to use nuclear fission technology to manufacture precious metal elements.

[Insufficient conditions, establishment failed! ]

He frowned immediately, thought carefully, and then tried to create a task.

【Task 3】

[Research project name: Production of gold by splitting atomic nuclei (difficulty assessment: B).]

(The mission can be upgraded to A-level.)
【Progress: 15.372%.】

(The task can be canceled. Currently, the number of scientific research coins required to cancel the task is 0.)
(The remaining progress requires 170 scientific research coins.)
"Can the mission be upgraded?"

"A-level?"

"Is it because of...efficiency?" Zhang Shuo understood the reason after thinking about it. There is an efficiency issue in producing gold elements.

If you pursue higher efficiency, the difficulty of the task will continue to increase.

Class A, the efficiency is definitely very high.

It is now at Level B difficulty, and the efficiency is still relatively low, but how low it is still needs to be determined through experiments.

In any case, as long as the mission is successfully established, it means that the research can be carried out.

Zhang Shuo suddenly gained confidence.

Previous research on precious metals had failed, probably because there were too many precious metal elements, and some rare metals with super-large atoms were simply impossible to produce using "nuclear fission."

If you want to make it, you may need the reverse reaction of "nuclear fission", that is, atoms recombine protons and neutrons to form a larger nucleus.

This becomes a fusion process.

There has been no research on the fusion reaction brought about by strong force, and we don’t even know where to start.

The reason why the study chose gold is not because of its high value, but because gold is stable in nature, more elements can appear in the natural environment, and detection is relatively easy.

Compared with other precious metal elements, the nucleus of gold is not large.

In fact, there are many elemental substances that are thousands of times more valuable than gold.

For example, polonium.

Polonium is recognized as the metal with the highest value. It is a radioactive element and is extremely rare in nature.

The price of polonium is extremely expensive, reaching about 3200 billion yuan per gram.

This elemental substance is mainly used to manufacture high-density alpha sources, high-intensity neutron sources, etc., and is highly toxic.

The main reason for its high cost is its scarcity and the great difficulty in extraction and processing. At the same time, its radioactivity also requires special equipment and technology to study and operate it, and the cost of manual extraction is very high.

There are several other metal elements that are much more expensive than gold.

These elements all have a common characteristic - their natural environment content is extremely low and they are all super-large atomic substances.

Super-large atoms cannot be produced using nuclear fission technology.

……

After setting up the task, Zhang Shuo decided to give it an experiment.

He simply reported to his superiors.

The higher authorities immediately asked Liu Xu's team to cooperate with his research, which also surprised Liu Xu because they had conducted many experiments and Zhang Shuo wanted to conduct the same experiment.

Changing to Zhang Shuo...

Will that work?

Liu Xu subconsciously thought that Zhang Shuo did not believe their experimental data and insisted on trying it with his own eyes.

Soon, he no longer thought so.

Zhang Shuo did not conduct the experiment directly. He carried out detailed mathematical calculations and analysis on the premise that the task had made certain progress, and then decided how to conduct the experiment.

First of all, it is time to use krypton coins to find the direction.

The B-level task requiring 200 scientific research coins was just a small research for Zhang Shuo. After getting a clear direction with the coins, he quickly determined the target materials for the experiment.

Lead and mercury compounds.

Lead compounds are very cheap and the cost is negligible.

Mercury compounds are relatively expensive, but the cost is acceptable.

When it comes to the selection of elemental materials, cost is only one factor; another consideration is the stability of the elements and the impact on the atomic nucleus during the reaction.

Mercury is closest to gold, and it only needs to lose one proton to turn into gold.

Lead is a little more difficult to deal with than mercury, but lead material is very cheap and can also be used as a side experiment.

The theoretical analysis and calculations of the experiment were completed by Zhang Shuo, Xue Baikun and Wang Qiang, and the three of them came to the experimental base together.

Liu Xu also participated in the theoretical analysis and calculation work, but he was just doing some "assigned work" and did not understand the principles at all.

Then, he got the data for the experiment and Liu Xu also prepared for the experiment based on the data.

When preparing for the experiment, many people in the base also knew what the experiment was going to be. They immediately discussed with surprise, "Is it to make precious metals?"

"Preparing mercury compound materials, is it to make gold?"

"We have tried it, and we have tried several strengths. The gold content in the residue is extremely low."

"It's always like this. Is there any difference between this time and the previous times?"

“Maybe Professor Zhang Shuo just wants to really give it a try?”

These discussions did not affect the experimental preparations, and they also saw the differences in the experiments.

While preparing the lead and mercury compound materials, you also need to prepare some special carbon and silicon element mixtures. The mixture should be placed in the two compound materials and stirred evenly.

Lead compounds and mixed materials were completely ground into powder.

Mercury-combined materials become solidified substances that appear to have a relatively hard texture.

Mixture is also an important part.

In the view of researchers at the base, if they want to produce gold elements efficiently, they must find the critical threshold of ion cluster strength.

That is, under a certain intensity, more gold elements will be produced.

Actually, this is not the case.

The critical threshold of ion cluster intensity is very important. Another very important point is the adjustment material. Under the influence of the adjustment material, the raw material will maintain the "critical threshold" reaction intensity for a longer time.

This is the only way to produce more gold elements.

Although the principle does not sound that complicated, in actual research, it is not easy to think of "adding mixed materials". Inspiration in scientific research is more important than hard work.

If we really invest in research, even if we spend tens or hundreds of billions of dollars, we may not necessarily get any results.

There are many problems to be solved in the middle of the research.

What to put in the mix?
What is the ratio?

What is the control range of ion cluster intensity?

and many more.

Each point requires a lot of experimental research to draw valid conclusions.

Zhang Shuo can easily analyze and calculate the appropriate range using a research task of 200 research coins.

After everything was ready, the first experiment officially began.

Wang Qiang, Zhang Shuo and several other researchers were in charge of the experimental direction. They were arranged on the outskirts of the experimental base.

Since the experimental explosion, everyone knows that experiments in new physics directions are very risky.

Zhang Shuo's superiors attached great importance to his safety and had very strict requirements that he could not approach any experiments in new physics areas.

Ion cannons also have certain risks.

Even during regular launch time, Zhang Shuo had to stay away from the experimental device.

"Will this test produce any results?" Wang Qiang and Zhang Shuo stood together.

Among the three people, only Xue Baikun was directly involved in the experiment.

"Just try it, it should work." Zhang Shuo was not sure either.

"We have done so many calculations, we should be very close to the critical interval."

"The closer the distance, the more gold elements are produced."

Zhang Shuo said a few words calmly.

A researcher named Wang Lin said, "Professor Zhang Shuo, we have done this kind of experiment before, but we didn't put any impurities inside. What is the purpose of putting that substance inside?"

"Balance the field force."

Zhang Shuo gave a simple explanation, "Because the field force is lost too quickly, the reaction of small atomic matter is strong. High-density small atomic matter can keep the reaction at a certain intensity threshold."

The current experiments are using nuclear force ion clusters to strike target materials. The accuracy of ion cannons at close range is still very high, and a direct hit can be guaranteed at a distance of two kilometers.

Since the target is close, the intensity of the ion cluster produced does not need to be too high.

"We have done similar experiments before, but without any impurities," said Wang Lin.

He and others also started talking in low voices, "Hopefully we can find something."

"Isn't that possible? This kind of research would take a long time even if it could be done. This is just a test."

"It would be best if we could find it on the first test."

"Professor Zhang Shuo is not ordinary. Maybe he can really make a discovery."

"I still feel..."

As they were talking, they saw a large amount of smoke appearing at the target location, obviously the ion cannon had hit the target.

The smoke lasted for a long time, and they waited until most of it had dissipated before they walked towards the laboratory.

When the time came, Zhang Shuo immediately observed the parameters related to the launch.

Liu Xu also said with some pride, "The ion cannon we developed has a very high accuracy. Within a range of dozens or hundreds of kilometers, it can be said that it can hit the target every time."

"The error can be kept within ten centimeters."

The accuracy is truly amazing.

An error of ten centimeters per hundred kilometers is almost equivalent to no error.

The experimental process is to fire an ion cannon to hit the target, and subsequent detection is the most important. The target position reacts strongly and may even have slight radiation.

The specific test will have to wait until tomorrow.

Most people did not expect the experiment to produce any results, because it was only the first time the experiment was conducted, and even if theoretical calculations were done, it would be difficult to directly produce the gold element.

This result is unimaginable.

Zhang Shuo was still very much looking forward to the test results, because the laboratory was operating according to the calculation and analysis results, and he also wanted to know how much gold elements could be produced based on the calculated approximate data.

While waiting for the test results, Zhang Shuo simply waited in the base and paid more attention to the situation of the ion cannon. He gained a more detailed understanding of the ion group parameters, adjustable intensity range, and launch cost.

Residues were collected starting on the second day, and formal testing was conducted on the third day.

The testing is carried out in the testing office of the experimental base.

The detection speed is still very fast. Initially, only the gold content is tested. All that needs to be done is to conduct specific separation of the residues. The general results will come out that evening.

Liu Xu was the first to get the data sheet. He didn't pay much attention to it at first, but his eyes widened when he saw the data content.

He yelled, "Are you sure?"

The person who submitted the data sheet next to him immediately said, "Team Leader Liu, this is an estimated data, but the error will not be too large."

"Whoo~~~"

Liu Xu took a deep breath, then opened his mouth wide and said, "Okay, okay..."

"Estimated 150 to 200 grams!"

"According to the current gold price, it has almost covered the launch cost!"

"We have tried it so many times but it didn't work, Professor Zhang Shuo..."

"He is indeed not an ordinary person!"

(End of this chapter)