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That’s what makes it seem plausible. But has Hg 198 ever been observed to decay to stable Au 197?

Here is what Copilot AI says:

Not naturally, no. Mercury-198 (^198Hg) does not decay into gold-197 (^197Au) under normal conditions. In fact, ^198Hg is a stable isotope, meaning it doesn’t undergo radioactive decay at all.
However, there’s a fascinating twist! A recent study by a startup called Marathon Fusion claims that ^198Hg can be transmuted into ^197Au using neutron bombardment inside a fusion reactor. Here’s how it works:
⚛️ The Proposed Transmutation Process
- Step 1: Fast neutrons hit ^198Hg, converting it into unstable ^197Hg.
- Step 2: ^197Hg then undergoes beta decay with a half-life of ~64 hours, turning into stable ^197Au.
- This process is part of a broader fusion energy concept that could produce gold as a byproduct.
🧪 Reality Check
- This method has only been demonstrated in simulations, not in practical experiments.
- It’s not economically viable yet, and the resulting gold would need to “cool” for years before it’s safe to use due to residual radioactivity.
So while ^198Hg doesn’t decay into ^197Au on its own, with a bit of nuclear wizardry, it might be coaxed into doing so. Alchemists would be proud.