Editing Helium-3 (section)

== History ==
The existence of helium-3 was first proposed in 1934 by the Australian [[Nuclear physics|nuclear physicist]] [[Mark Oliphant]] while he was working at the [[University of Cambridge]] [[Cavendish Laboratory]]. Oliphant had performed experiments in which fast [[deuteron]]s collided with deuteron targets (incidentally, the first demonstration of [[nuclear fusion]]).<ref>{{cite journal|title=Transmutation Effects Observed with Heavy Hydrogen|first=M. L. E.|last=Oliphant|author2=Harteck, P. |author3=Rutherford, E. |journal=[[Proceedings of the Royal Society A]] | volume=144|issue=853|date=1934|pages=692–703|jstor=2935553| doi = 10.1098/rspa.1934.0077|bibcode=1934RSPSA.144..692O|doi-access=free}}</ref> Isolation of helium-3 was first accomplished by [[Luis Walter Alvarez|Luis Alvarez]] and [[Robert Cornog]] in 1939.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1103/PhysRev.56.613|title=Helium and Hydrogen of Mass 3|date=1939|last1=Alvarez|first1=Luis|last2=Cornog|first2=Robert|journal=Physical Review|volume=56|issue=6|pages=613|bibcode = 1939PhRv...56..613A }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url = https://archive.org/details/discoveringalvar0000alva|url-access = registration|pages =[https://archive.org/details/discoveringalvar0000alva/page/26 26]–30|title = Discovering Alvarez: selected works of Luis W. Alvarez, with commentary by his students and colleagues|publisher = University of Chicago Press|isbn = 978-0-226-81304-2|author1 = Alvarez, Luis W|author2 = Peter Trower, W|date = 1987}}</ref> Helium-3 was thought to be a [[radioactive isotope]] until it was also found in samples of natural helium, which is mostly [[helium-4]], taken both from the terrestrial atmosphere and from [[natural gas]] wells.<ref>{{cite web|date=1981|publisher=Newsmagazine Publication|url=http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Research-Review/Magazine/1981/81fepi1.html|title=Lawrence and His Laboratory: Episode: A Productive Error|access-date=2009-09-01|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510110547/http://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Research-Review/Magazine/1981/81fepi1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>