Science
Eugène Demarçay
Spectroscopic contributor to the radium investigation
Who they are
Eugène Demarçay supplied spectroscopic evidence discussed in the Curies’ and Gustave Bémont’s 1898 radium report. His observation of a distinctive line provided a second kind of evidence alongside radioactivity and chemical fractionation. The report acknowledges his contribution but does not list him among its three authors.
He illustrates the use of independent measurement methods in identifying a proposed new element.
Selected contributions
- Contributed the spectral-line evidence acknowledged in the radium report.Source ↗
Primary records
Academic paper · 1898
On a New, Strongly Radio-active Substance Contained in Pitchblende
Pierre and Marie Curie with Gustave Bémont report a strongly radioactive fraction of pitchblende and propose radium as a new element. The report distinguishes chemical separation and Demarçay’s spectral evidence from isolation of a pure substance.
Report of December 26, 1898; Alfred Romer’s 1970 English translation hosted by AIP.
Reading scope & citation
Reuses documented prior inspection: Entire short translated report read; original French facsimile was not compared. Translation is from Romer’s 1970 edition. Reused prior inspected evidence: Entire short translated report read; original French facsimile was not compared. Translation is from Romer’s 1970 edition.
In the timeline
- Dec 26, 1898The Curies and Bémont report evidence for radium
Biography sources
- On a New, Strongly Radio-active Substance Contained in Pitchblende ↗Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences; translation hosted by American Institute of Physics