Synthetic radioisotope

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A synthetic radioisotope is a radionuclide that is not found in nature: no natural process or mechanism exists which produces it, or it is so unstable that it decays away in a very short period of time^[1]. Frédéric Joliot-Curie and Irène Joliot-Curie were the first to produce a synthetic radioisotope in the 20th century^[2]. Examples include technetium-99 and promethium-146. Many of these are found in, and harvested from, spent nuclear fuel assemblies. Some must be manufactured in particle accelerators.^[3]