居里夫人自傳 第38章 青年時期的夢想 (4)
    Followingthisheundertookaninvestigationoncrystalsincollaborationwithhisbrother,whohadpassedhislicentiateandwaspreparatorforFriedelinthelaboratoryofmineralogyattheSorbonne.Theirexperimentsledthetwoyoungphysiciststoagreatsuccess:thediscoveryofthehithertounknownphenomenaofpiezo-electricity,whichconsistsofanelectricpolarizationproducedbythecompressionortheexpansionofcrystalsinthedirectionoftheaxisofsymmetry.Thiswasbynomeansachancediscovery.Itwastheresultofmuchreflectiononthesymmetryofcrystallinematter,whichenabledthebrotherstoforeseethepossibilitiesofsuchpolarization.ThefirstpartoftheinvestigationwasmadeinFriedel'slaboratory.Withanexperimentalskillrareattheirage,theyoungmensucceededinmakingacompletestudyofthenewphenomenon,establishedtheconditionsofsymmetrynecessarytoitsproductionincrystals,andstateditsremarkablysimplequantitativelaws,aswellasitsabsolutemagnitudeforcertaincrystals.Severalwell-knownscientistsofothernations(Roentgen,Kundt,Voigt,Riecke)havemadefurtherinvestigationsalongthisnewroadopenedbyJacquesandPierreCurie.

    Thesecondpartofthework,andmuchmoredifficulttorealizeexperimentally,concernedthecompressionresultinginpiezo-electriccrystalswhentheyareexposedtotheactionofanelectricfield.Thisphenomenon,foreseenbyLippmann,wasdemonstratedbytheCuriebrothers.Thedifficultyoftheexperimentlayintheminutenessofthedeformationsthathadtobeobserved.FortunatelyDesainsandMoutonplacedasmallroomadjoiningthephysicslaboratoryatthedisposalofthebrotherssothattheymightproceedsuccessfullywiththeirdelicateoperations.

    Fromtheseresearches,asmuchtheoreticalasexperimental,theyimmediatelydeducedapracticalapplication,intheformofanewapparatus,apiezo-electricquartzelectrometer,whichmeasuresinabsolutetermssmallquantitiesofelectricity,aswellaselectriccurrentsoflowintensity.Thisapparatushassincethenrenderedgreatserviceinexperimentsinradioactivity.

    Duringthecourseoftheirexperimentsonpiezo-electricitytheCurieswereobligedtoemployelectrometricapparatus,and,notbeingabletousethequadrantelectrometerknownatthattime,theydevelopedanewformofthatinstrument,betteradaptedtotheirnecessities.ThisbecameknowninFranceastheCurieelectrometer.Thustheseyearsofcollaborationbetweenthetwobrothers,alwaysintimatelyunited,provedbothhappyandfruitful.Theirdevotionandtheircommoninterestinscienceweretothembothastimulantandasupport.DuringtheirworkthevivacityandenergyofJacqueswereofpreciousaidtoPierre,alwaysmoreeasilyabsorbedbyhisthoughts.

    However,thisbeautifulandclosecollaborationlastedonlyafewyears.In,PierreandJacqueswereobligedtoseparate;JacquesleftfortheUniversityofMontpelierasHeadLecturerinMineralogy(Ma?tredeConferences).PierrewasmadeDirectorofLaboratoryWorkintheSchoolofIndustrialPhysicsandChemistryfoundedbythecityofParisatthesuggestionofFriedelandofSchutzenberger,whobecameitsfirstdirector.

    Theirremarkableresearcheswithcrystalswonforthebrothersin——verylate,itistrue——thePlanteprize.
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