1934 Production of the First Radioisotope
Few naturally occurring substances are radioactive but [radioisotopes]
can be produced by bombarding some nuclei with fast moving particles.
In 1934, Irene Curie (daughter of Marie Curie) and her husband,
Frederic Joliot, produced the first artificial radioisotope. They
bombarded aluminum with alpha particles and obtained a radioactive
phosphorus isotope. Since then, radioisotopes of practically every
element have been produced using similar methods. They were awarded
a Nobel Prize also. Like her mother, Irene died of [leukemia],
caused by working too long with radioactive substances.
(C)1999 ThinkQuest Team 27954