Wikipedia

Wilhelm Röntgen

Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen(/ˈrɛntɡən,-dʒən,ˈrʌnt-/;[4]German:[ˈvɪlhɛlmˈʁœntɡən]ⓘ;27 March 1845 – 10 February 1923) was a Germanphysicist,[5]who, on8 November 1895,produced and detectedelectromagnetic radiationin awavelengthrange known asX-raysor Röntgen rays, an achievement that earned him the inauguralNobel Prize in Physicsin1901.[6][7]In honour of Röntgen's accomplishments, in 2004, theInternational Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC) namedelement111,roentgenium,a radioactive element with multiple unstable isotopes, after him. The non-SIunit ofradiation exposure,theroentgen(R), is also named after him.

Wilhelm Röntgen
Röntgen in 1901
Born
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen

(1845-03-27)27 March 1845
Lennep[de],Rhine Province,Kingdom of Prussia
(now part ofRemscheid,Germany)[1]
Died10 February 1923(1923-02-10)(aged 77)
Munich,Weimar Republic
(now Germany)
MonumentsRöntgen Memorial Site,Würzburg
Citizenship
  • Prussia (1845–1848)
  • Stateless(1848–1888)
  • Germany (1888–1923)[2]
Alma materETH Zurich
University of Zurich(PhD)
Known for
Spouse
Anna Bertha Ludwig
​
​
(m.1872; died 1919)​
[3]
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
X-ray astronomy
Institutions
Doctoral advisorAugust Kundt
Doctoral students
Other notable studentsFranz S. Exner
Signature

Biographical history

Education

He was born to Friedrich Conrad Röntgen, a German merchant and cloth manufacturer, and Charlotte Constanze Frowein.[8]When he was aged three, his family moved to the Netherlands, where his mother's family lived.[8]Röntgen attended high school at Utrecht Technical School inUtrecht,Netherlands.[8]He followed courses at the Technical School for almost two years.[9]In 1865, he was unfairly expelled from high school when one of his teachers intercepted acaricatureof one of the teachers, which was drawn by someone else.

Without a high school diploma, Röntgen could only attend university in the Netherlands as a visitor. In 1865, he tried to attendUtrecht Universitywithout having the necessary credentials required for a regular student. Upon hearing that he could enter theFederal Polytechnic InstituteinZürich(today known as theETH Zurich), he passed the entrance examination and began his studies there as a student ofmechanical engineering.[8]In 1869, he graduated with aPhDfrom theUniversity of Zurich;once there, he became a favourite student of ProfessorAugust Kundt,whom he followed to the newly founded GermanKaiser-Wilhelms-UniversitätinStrasbourg.[10]

Birthplace of Röntgen inRemscheid-Lennep
Wall art by the house where Röntgen lived from 1863 until 1865 in the Schalkwijkstraat inUtrecht.Made by Jackie Sleper in 2005.

Career

Röntgen's marble bust at theDeutsches MuseuminMunich

In 1874, Röntgen became a lecturer at the University of Strasbourg. In 1875, he became aprofessorat theAcademy of AgricultureatHohenheim,Württemberg.He returned to Strasbourg as a professor of physics in 1876, and in 1879, he was appointed to the chair of physics at theUniversity of Giessen.In 1888, he obtained the physics chair at theUniversity of Würzburg,[11]and in 1900 at theUniversity of Munich,by special request of the Bavarian government.

Röntgen had family inIowain the United States and planned to emigrate. He accepted an appointment atColumbia UniversityinNew York Cityand bought transatlantic tickets, before the outbreak ofWorld War Ichanged his plans. He remained in Munich for the rest of his career.

Discovery of X-rays

During 1895, at his laboratory in the Würzburg Physical Institute of the University of Würzburg, Röntgen was investigating the external effects of passing anelectrical dischargethrough various types of vacuum tube equipment—apparatuses fromHeinrich Hertz,Johann Hittorf,William Crookes,Nikola TeslaandPhilipp von Lenard[12][13]In early November, he was repeating an experiment with one of Lenard's tubes in which a thin aluminium window had been added to permit thecathode raysto exit the tube but a cardboard covering was added to protect the aluminium from damage by the strong electrostatic field that produces the cathode rays. Röntgen knew that the cardboard covering prevented light from escaping, yet he observed that the invisible cathode rays caused afluorescenteffect on a small cardboard screen painted withbarium platinocyanidewhen it was placed close to thealuminiumwindow.[11]It occurred to Röntgen that theCrookes–Hittorf tube,which had a much thicker glass wall than the Lenard tube, might also cause this fluorescent effect.

In the late afternoon of 8 November 1895, Röntgen was determined to test his idea. He carefully constructed a black cardboard covering similar to the one he had used on the Lenard tube. He covered the Crookes–Hittorf tube with the cardboard and attached electrodes to aRuhmkorff coilto generate an electrostatic charge. Before setting up the barium platinocyanide screen to test his idea, Röntgen darkened the room to test theopacityof his cardboard cover. As he passed the Ruhmkorff coil charge through the tube, he determined that the cover was light-tight and turned to prepare for the next step of the experiment. It was at this point that Röntgen noticed a faint shimmering from a bench a few feet away from the tube. To be sure, he tried several more discharges and saw the same shimmering each time. Striking a match, he discovered the shimmering had come from the location of the barium platinocyanide screen he had been intending to use next.

Based on the formation of regular shadows, Röntgen termed the phenomenon "rays".[14]: 40 As 8 November was a Friday, he took advantage of the weekend to repeat his experiments and made his first notes. In the following weeks, he ate and slept in his laboratory as he investigated many properties of the new rays he temporarily termed "X-rays", using the mathematical designation ( "X" ) for something unknown. The new rays came to bear his name in many languages as "Röntgen rays" (and the associatedX-ray radiogramsas "Röntgenograms" ).

At one point, while he was investigating the ability of various materials to stop the rays, Röntgen brought a small piece of lead into position while a discharge was occurring. Röntgen thus saw the first radiographic image: his own flickering ghostly skeleton on the barium platinocyanide screen.

About six weeks after his discovery, he took a picture—aradiograph—using X-rays of his wife Anna Bertha's hand.[7]When she saw her skeleton she exclaimed "I have seen my death!"[15]He later took a better picture of his friendAlbert von Kölliker's hand at a public lecture.

Röntgen's original paper, "On A New Kind of Rays" (Ueber eine neue Art von Strahlen), was published on 28 December 1895. On 5 January 1896, an Austrian newspaper reported Röntgen's discovery of a new type of radiation. Röntgen was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Medicinedegree from the University of Würzburg after his discovery. He also received theRumford Medalof the BritishRoyal Societyin 1896, jointly withPhilipp Lenard,who had already shown that a portion of the cathode rays could pass through a thin film of a metal such as aluminium.[11]Röntgen published a total of three papers on X-rays between 1895 and 1897.[16]Today, Röntgen is considered the father of diagnosticradiology,the medical speciality which uses imaging to diagnose disease.

Personal life

Grave of Wilhelm Röntgen at Alter Friedhof (old cemetery) inGießen

Röntgen was married to Anna Bertha Ludwig for 47 years until her death in 1919 at the age of 80. In 1866, they met in Zürich at Anna's father's café, Zum Grünen Glas. They became engaged in 1869 and wed inApeldoorn,Netherlandson 7 July 1872; the delay was due to Anna being six years Wilhelm's senior and his father not approving of her age or humble background. Their marriage began with financial difficulties as family support from Röntgen had ceased. They raised one child, Josephine Bertha Ludwig, whom they adopted as a six-year-old after her father, Anna's only brother, died in 1887.[17]

FirstX-ray by Röntgen of his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig's hand
X-ray ofAlbert von Kölliker's hand

For ethical reasons, Röntgen did not seek patents for his discoveries, holding the view that they should be publicly available without charge. After receiving his Nobel prize money, Röntgen donated the 50,000 Swedish krona to research at theUniversity of Würzburg.Although he accepted the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine, he rejected an offer of lower nobility, or Niederer Adelstitel, denying the preposition von (meaning "of" ) as a nobiliary particle (i.e., von Röntgen).[18]With the inflation following World War I, Röntgen fell into bankruptcy, spending his final years at his country home atWeilheim,near Munich.[12]Röntgen died on 10 February 1923 fromcarcinomaof the intestine, also known ascolorectal cancer.[19]In keeping with his will, his personal and scientific correspondence, with few exceptions, were destroyed upon his death.[19]: 113 [20]He was a member of theDutch Reformed Church.[21]

Awards and honors

In 1901, Röntgen was awarded the firstNobel Prize in Physics.The award was officially "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him".[22]Shy in public speaking, he declined to give a Nobel lecture.[14]: 39 Röntgen donated the 50,000 Swedish krona reward from his Nobel Prize to research at his university, theUniversity of Würzburg.LikeMarieandPierre Curie,Röntgen refused to take out patents related to his discovery of X-rays, as he wanted society as a whole to benefit from practical applications of the phenomenon. Röntgen was also awardedBarnard Medal for Meritorious Service to Sciencein 1900.[23]

In November 2004,IUPACnamed element number 111roentgenium(Rg) in his honor.IUPAPadopted the name in November 2011.

He was elected an International Member of theAmerican Philosophical Societyin 1897.[24]In 1907, he became a foreign member of theRoyal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.[25]

Legacy

A collection of his papers is held at the National Library of Medicine inBethesda, Maryland.[26]

Today, inRemscheid-Lennep,40 kilometres east of Röntgen's birthplace inDüsseldorf,is the Deutsches Röntgen-Museum.[27]
InWürzburg,where he discovered X-rays, a non-profit organization maintains his laboratory and provides guided tours to theRöntgen Memorial Site.[28]

World Radiography Day: World Radiography Dayis an annual event promoting the role of medical imaging in modern healthcare. It is celebrated on 8 November each year, coinciding with the anniversary of the Röntgen's discovery. It was first introduced in 2012 as a joint initiative between theEuropean Society of Radiology,theRadiological Society of North America,and theAmerican College of Radiology.

Up to 2023, 55 stamps from 40 countries have been issued commemorating Röntgen as the discoverer of X-rays.[29][30]

Röntgen PeakinAntarcticais named after Wilhelm Röntgen.[31]

Minor planet6401 Roentgenis named after him.[32]

See also

References

  1. ^"Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen – Facts".NobelPrize.org.
  2. ^Segovia-Buendía, Cristina (22 July 2020)."Röntgens Wurzeln im Bergischen".Lüttringhauser Anzeiger(in German).
  3. ^Jain, C."Spouse - source from Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Biographical".Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Biographical.
  4. ^"Röntgen".Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  5. ^"Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) – Ontdekker röntgenstraling".historiek.net. 31 October 2010.
  6. ^Novelize, Robert.Squire's Fundamentals of Radiology.Harvard University Press.5th ed. 1997.ISBN0-674-83339-2p. 1.
  7. ^abStoddart, Charlotte (1 March 2022)."Structural biology: How proteins got their close-up".Knowable Magazine.doi:10.1146/knowable-022822-1.Retrieved25 March2022.
  8. ^abcd"Wilhelm Röntgen".University of Washington: Department of Radiology.7 January 2015.
  9. ^Rosenbusch, Gerd.Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen: The Birth of Radiology.p. 10.
  10. ^Trevert, Edward (1988).Something About X-Rays for Everybody.Madison, Wisconsin: Medical Physics Publishing Corporation. p.4.ISBN0-944838-05-7.
  11. ^abcChisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Röntgen, Wilhelm Konrad".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 694.
  12. ^abNitske, Robert W.,The Life of W. C. Röntgen, Discoverer of the X-Ray,University of Arizona Press, 1971.
  13. ^Agar, Jon (2012).Science in the Twentieth Century and Beyond.Cambridge: Polity Press. p. 18.ISBN978-0-7456-3469-2.
  14. ^abPais, Abraham (2002).Inward bound: of matter and forces in the physical world(Reprint ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press [u.a.]ISBN978-0-19-851997-3.
  15. ^Landwehr, Gottfried (1997). Hasse, A (ed.).Röntgen centennial: X-rays in Natural and Life Sciences.Singapore: World Scientific. pp. 7–8.ISBN981-02-3085-0.
  16. ^Wilhelm Röntgen, "Ueber eine neue Art von Strahlen. Vorläufige Mitteilung", in:Aus den Sitzungsberichten der Würzburger Physik.-medic. Gesellschaft Würzburg,pp. 137–147, 1895; Wilhelm Röntgen, "Eine neue Art von Strahlen. 2. Mitteilung", in:Aus den Sitzungsberichten der Würzburger Physik.-medic. Gesellschaft Würzburg,pp. 11–17, 1896; Wilhelm Röntgen, "Weitere Beobachtungen über die Eigenschaften der X-Strahlen", in:Mathematische und Naturwissenschaftliche Mitteilungen aus den Sitzungsberichten der Königlich Preußischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin,pp. 392–406, 1897.
  17. ^Glasser (1933: 63)
  18. ^"Radiation Safety – Historical Figures – Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen".Michigan State University.Retrieved18 September2019.
  19. ^abGlasser, Otto (1933).Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and the Early History of the Roentgen Rays.London: John Bale, Sons and Danielsson, Ltd. p. 305.OCLC220696336.
  20. ^"Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was born on March 27, 1845".
  21. ^Knecht-van Eekelen, Annemarie de (2019).Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen: The Birth of Radiology.Springer. p. 4.ISBN9783319976617.Wilhelm Conrad and his father were members of the Dutch Reformed Church, the mainstream Protestant.
  22. ^Seehttps://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1901/rontgen/facts/and Jost Lemmerich: Röntgen Rays Centennial 1895–1995, Würzburg 1995,ISBN3-923959-28-1.
  23. ^"Award of Bernard Medal".Columbia Daily Spectator.Vol. XLIII, no. 57. New York City. 23 May 1900.Retrieved22 March2018.
  24. ^"APS Member History".search.amphilsoc.org.Retrieved22 February2024.
  25. ^"W.C. Röntgen (1845–1923)".Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.Retrieved20 July2015.
  26. ^"Fundamental contributions to the X-ray: the three original communications on a new kind of ray / Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen, 1972".National Library of Medicine.
  27. ^Deutsches Röntgen-Museumat roentgen-museum.de
  28. ^Röntgen Memorial Siteat wilhelmconradroentgen.de
  29. ^Guzei, Ilia (2023)."Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen - on international postage stamps".Retrieved16 August2024.
  30. ^Munk, Peter L.; Peh, Wilfred C.G. (2023)."Rontgen and the Discovery of X rays on stamps".The Canadian Philatelist.74(1): 14–19.
  31. ^Röntgen Peak.SCARComposite Antarctic Gazetteer
  32. ^"(6401) Roentgen".(6401) Roentgen In: Dictionary of Minor Planet Names.Springer. 2003. p. 530.doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_5844.ISBN978-3-540-29925-7.
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