transmutation

1. 1. The act or an instance of transmuting; transformation.
   2. The state of being transmuted.
2. Physics. Transformation of one element into another by one or a series of nuclear reactions.
3. The supposed conversion of base metals into gold or silver in alchemy.

The nuclear change of one element into another, either naturally, in radioactive elements, or artificially, by bombarding an element with electrons, deuterons, or α-particles in particle accelerators or with neutrons in atomic piles.

Natural transmutation was first explained by Marie Curie about 1900 as the result of the decay of radioactive elements into others of lower atomic weight. Ernest Rutherford produced the first artificial transmutation (nitrogen into oxygen and hydrogen) in 1919. Artificial transmutation is the method of origin of the heavier, artificial transuranium elements, and also of hundreds of radioactive isotopes of most of the chemical elements in the periodic table. See also Nuclear reaction; Periodic table.

noun

The process or result of changing from one appearance, state, or phase to another: change, changeover, conversion, metamorphosis, mutation, shift, transfiguration, transformation, translation, transmogrification, transubstantiation. See change/persist.

1. evolutionary change of one species into another.
2. the change of one chemical element into another.