The symbol used is a representation of the trident belonging to the Roman god Neptune

Fact Box

Uses

Neptunium is little used outside research. The isotope neptunium-237 has been used in neutron detectors.

History

In early 1934, Enrico Fermi in Italy tried to produce elements 93 and 94 by bombarding uranium with neutrons, and claimed success. Ida Tacke-Noddack questioned Fermi’s claim, pointing out he had failed to do a complete analysis, and all that he had found were fission products of uranium. (Fermi had in fact discovered nuclear fission but not realised it.) In 1938, Horia Hulubei and Yvette Cauchois claimed to have discovered element 93, but the claim was also criticised on the grounds that element 93 did not occur naturally.