Definition of curie

The term "curie" is commonly used in the field of nuclear science to measure the intensity of radioactive isotopes. The unit of measurement is named after Marie and Pierre Curie, a renowned scientific couple who made significant contributions to the study of radioactivity. The Curie concept was proposed by Marie Curie's daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, and her husband Frédéric Joliot in the 1930s, who introduced the mauverbique (little word) as an alternative to the old-fashioned electrounce (electro-once), which was a confusing term for the unit of international system (SI) ampere-second (As). With the intention of simplifying the nomenclature, they proposed the term "curie," which was accepted by the International Commission on Weights and Measures in 1937. The unit, which represents an activity level of 37 billion radioactive decays per second, is named after Marie Curie due to her pioneering work in the analysis of radioactive substances and her crucial role in discovering radium and polonium. Pierre Curie, her husband, who collaborated with Marie in their research, is also honored by the use of the Crédité Curie in France, a scientific accolade awarded by the Collège de France. Interestingly, the adoption of the "curie" unit could have gone differently, as Irène and Frédéric also proposed the names "gabriel" and "jean" (for their sons), "maria" (for themselves) and "pière" (for Pierre Curie) as alternative names to standardize nomenclature in radiation units. However, these suggestions never took root, and the term "curie" has become the accepted unit of measurement in nuclear science. In summary, the term "curie" honors the legacy of Marie and Pierre Curie, and it is a testament to the immense contributions they made to the field of nuclear physics. Their groundbreaking work has paved the way for the development of nuclear energy, medical imaging, and numerous fields in science and engineering.