Abstract
SOME months ago we discovered that certain light elements emit positrons under the action of α-particles1. Our latest experiments have shown a very striking fact: when an aluminium foil is irradiated on a polonium preparation, the emission of positrons does not cease immediately, when the active preparation is removed. The foil remains radioactive and the emission of radiation decays exponentially as for an ordinary radio-element. We observed the same phenomenon with boron and magnesium2. The half life period of the activity is 14 min. for boron, 2 min. 30 sec. for magnesium, 3 min. 15 sec. for aluminium.
Article PDF
References
Irène Curie and F. Joliot, J. Phys. et. Rod., 4, 494 ; 1933.
Irène Curie and F. Joliot, C.R., 198 ; 1934.
Irène Curie et F. Joliot, C.R., meeting of Feb. 29, 1934.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
JOLIOT, F., CURIE, I. Artificial Production of a New Kind of Radio-Element. Nature 133, 201–202 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133201a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133201a0
This article is cited by
-
Enrico Fermi’s Discovery of Neutron-Induced Artificial Radioactivity: A Case of “Emanation” from “Divine Providence”
Physics in Perspective (2020)
-
The Periodic Table
Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy (2020)