| In 1930
the two German scientists Walter Bothe and H. Becker bombarded
beryllium (94Be) with the alpha particles
(the nucleuses of helium). They observed the emission of a very
hard radiation. The radiation was not deflected in the magnetic
field and could penetrate even a few centimetres thick layer of
lead. The scientists assumed that it was a high energetic gamma
radiation. But soon they discovered that its energy was much higher
than any gamma radiation could have. The scientists also noticed
that the radiation knocked protons out the paraffin slug (Irena
Joliot Curie and Frederic Joliot Curie). |
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