Ellen Gleditsch: Pioneer Woman in Radiochemistry
Abstract
We present the life and work of the Norwegian scientist Ellen Gleditsch (1879-1968) in the early era of radioactivity. From 1907-1912, Gleditsch worked as Marie Curie's assistant in the Laboratoire Curie in Paris on the alleged copper-lithium radioactive transformation and on the radiumuranium ratio, as well as studying chemistry and related subjects at the Sorbonne. Later,in 1913-1914, she worked in Bertram Boltwood's laboratory at Yale University on the half-life of radium. Gleditsch also was concerned with academic opportunities for women, and she became the president of the International Federation of University Women. As a professor, the second female professor in Norway, she initiated a research group on radioactivity at the University of Oslo.
- Publication:
-
Physics in Perspective
- Pub Date:
- June 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s00016-003-0187-6
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhP.....6..126L
- Keywords:
-
- Ellen Gleditsch;
- Marie Curie;
- Bertram B. Boltwood;
- Ernest Rutherford;
- William Ramsay;
- Curie Laboratory;
- University of Oslo;
- International Federation of University Women;
- radioactivity;
- radiochemistry;
- radiogeology;
- radium;
- half-life;
- radium-uranium ratio