Alpha decay helium produced on Earth is the result of the alpha decay of underground deposits of minerals containing uranium or thorium. The helium is brought to the surface as a by-product of natural gas production. Alpha particles were first described in the investigations of radioactivity by Ernest Rutherford in 1899, and by 1907 they were identified as He ions. By 1928, George Gamow had solved the theory of alpha decay via tunneling. The alpha particle is trapped in a potential well by the nucleus. Classically, it is forbidden to escape, but according to the (then) newly discovered principles of quantum mechanics,
Pirkko Eskola using the Heavy Ion Linear Accelerator, bombarding a target of californium-249 with nitrogen nuclei. There was debate between Russia and America over who first discovered of Rutherfordium. Erkola studied the alpha decay of Nobelium 255 and 257. She went on to work on beta-unstable Alpha particle emitting nuclei. Using Alpha-particle spectroscopy she studied lawrencium isotopes 255 - 260 and Mendelevium isotopes 248 - 252. Her husband, Kari Eskola, was a professor of physics at the University of Helsinki. She went on to have a career in science education. She was an editor of the Finnish Physical Society journal "Physica Fennica".