Artificial Radioactivity
Radioactivity in nuclides created by bombarding stable nuclei with particles rather than found in nature.
Unit
Bq
In depth
Discovered by Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie in 1934, artificial radioactivity allows radioisotopes to be tailored for specific purposes — an appropriate half-life, a suitable radiation type and a convenient chemistry — which natural sources rarely provide.
Examples in the real world
Technetium-99m for imaging, with a 6-hour half-life ideal for diagnosis; cobalt-60 made by neutron irradiation.