Curie's spouses – Pierre Curie and Maria Sklodowska-Curie – scientists-physicists, some of the first researchers of the phenomenon of radioactivity who got the Nobel Prize in physics for a huge contribution to science in the field of radiation. Marie Curie also proved that radium is independent chemical element for what her awarded with the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Pierre Curie
Pierre Curie was the nee Parisian who grew up in family of the doctor and got a good education at first at home, then at the Parisian university Sorbonne. At the age of 18 years he was already a licentiate of physical sciences – this academic degree stood between the bachelor and the doctor. In the first years of the scientific activity it together with the brother worked in laboratory of Sorbonne where opened piezoelectric effect.
In 1895 Pierre Curie married Maria Sklodowska, and in several years together they began to investigate radioactivity. This phenomenon which consists in change of structure and the structure of atomic nuclei with emission of particles was opened in 1896 by Becquerel. This French physicist was familiar with Curie's spouses and shared with them the opening. Pierre and Maria began studying the new phenomenon and found out that thorium, compounds of radium, polonium, all compounds of uranium and uranium differs in radioactivity.
The becquerel left work on radioactivity and began to investigate the phosphors which were more interesting it, but once asked for Pierre Curie a test tube with radioactive material for a lecture. It lay in a pocket of a vest and left reddening on the physicist's skin what the Becquerel immediately reported to Curie on. After that Pierre made on himself experiment, pronosiv a test tube with radium several hours in a row on a forearm. It caused in it appearance of a heavy ulcer which passed several months. Pierre Curie was the first scientist who opened biological impact of radiation on the person. Curie died at accident, having got under the crew wheels at the age of 46 years.
Maria Sklodowska-Curie
Maria Sklodowska was the Polish student, one of the best schoolgirls of Sorbonne. She was engaged in studying chemistry and physics, conducted independent researches and became the first female teacher in Sorbonne. In three years after the wedding with Pierre Curie Marie began to work on the doctoral dissertation on radioactivity. She studied this phenomenon not less with enthusiasm, than her husband. After his death she continued work, began to fulfill duties of professor of department which Pierre Curie was, and even headed office of researches of radioactivity at Radium institute. Maria Sklodowska-Curie emitted pure metal radium, having proved that it is independent chemical element. She got the Nobel Prize in chemistry for it opening and became the only woman in the world with two Nobel Prizes. Marie Curie because of radiation sickness which developed as a result of continuous interaction with radioactive materials died.