Roentgen Wilhelm: biography, discoveries, interesting facts from life

Every year, as part of the medical examination, a large number of people undergo a procedure of fluorography. When there is a suspicion of a fracture or other damage to the bones, radiography is used. These procedures have long become commonplace, although, if you think about it, they are by themselves amazing. Who was the man who immortalized his name, giving the world a powerful diagnostic tool? Where and when was Wilhelm Roentgen born?

early years

The future scientist was born on March 17, 1845 in the city of Lennepe, in the place of the present Remscheid, in Germany. His father was a manufacturer and was engaged in selling clothes, dreaming to one day hand over his business to William. My mother was from the Netherlands. Three years after the birth of the only son, the family moved to Amsterdam, where the future inventor began training. His first educational institution was a private institution under the direction of Martinus von Dorn.

The father of the future scientist believed that the manufacturer needed an engineering education, and his son was not against it - he was interested in science. In 1861, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen moved to Utrecht Technical School, from which he was soon expelled, refusing to issue a comrade who painted a caricature of one of the teachers when an internal investigation began.

Having flown out of school, Roentgen Wilhelm did not receive any documents on education, so the admission to a higher educational institution for him now represented a difficult task: he could claim only the status of a volunteer. In 1865, with this initial data, he tried to become a student at Utrecht University, but was defeated.

Training and work

Nevertheless, persistence served him well. A little later he still became a student, although not in the Netherlands. In accordance with the desire of his father, he firmly set out to get an engineering education and became a student of the Federal Polytechnic Institute of Zurich. Throughout the years spent within its walls, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was particularly fascinated by physics. Gradually, he begins to carry out his research. In 1869, he completed his studies, receiving a degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in philosophy. Eventually, having decided to make his passion for his favorite work, he goes to university and defends his thesis, after which he starts working as an assistant and begins to give lectures to students. Later, he moved several times from one educational institution to another, and in 1894 became rector in Würzburg. Six years later, Roentgen moved to Munich, where he worked until his career was over. But before that it was still far away.

Main directions

Like any scientist, Wilhelm worked in a variety of scientific fields. In the main, the German physicist Roentgen was interested in certain properties of crystals, studied the relationship between the electrical and optical phenomena in them, and also carried out magnetism studies on which the later Lorentz electron theory was based. And who knew that studying the crystals later would bring him worldwide recognition and many awards?

Personal life

Even during his stay at the University of Zurich, Wilhelm Roentgen (1845-1923) met his future wife - Anna Bertha Ludwig. She was the daughter of the owner of the boarding house at the institute, so they had to meet quite often at one time. In 1872 they were married. The couple were very affectionate and wanted children. However, Anna did not manage to get pregnant, and then they adopted the orphaned six-year-old girl, the niece of Frau Bertha.

Undoubtedly, understanding the importance of her husband's work, the wife at the final stages of research tried to see that he eat and rest on time, while the scientist gave himself completely to the work, forgetting about his own needs. These patience and work were rewarded in full - it was the wife who served as a kind of model for demonstrating the discovery: the image of her hand with the ring flew around the world.

In 1919, when the beloved wife was no more, and the adopted daughter married, Wilhelm was already 74 years old. Despite world-wide fame, he felt terribly lonely, the attention of strangers even weighed him. In addition, he badly needed, having transferred all means to the government during the First World War. After the death of his wife, he himself lived quite a bit, having died in early 1923 of cancer - the result of constant interaction with the rays discovered by him.

X-ray

Wilhelm, by and large, especially did not try to make a career. He was already 50 years old, and there were no great achievements, but he did not seem interested in it at all - he just liked to move science forward, pushing the boundaries of the studied one. He stayed up late in the laboratory, endlessly conducting experiments and analyzing their results. The autumn evening of 1895 was no exception. Leaving and already turning off the light, he noticed a spot on the cathode tube. Deciding that he had simply forgotten to turn it off, the scientist turned the switch. The enigmatic spot immediately disappeared, but it was very interesting for the researcher. Several times he repeated this experience, coming to the conclusion that the blame for all the mysterious radiation.

Obviously, he felt that he was on the verge of a great discovery, because even the wife, who used to talk about work, he did not say anything. The next two months were entirely devoted to understanding the properties of the mysterious rays. Between the cathode tube and the X-ray screen, Wilhelm placed various objects, analyzing the results. Paper and wood completely missed the radiation, while metal and some other materials cast shadows, and their intensity depended, in particular, on the density of matter.

Properties

Further studies have yielded very interesting results. First, it turned out that lead completely absorbs this radiation. Secondly, by placing his hand between the tube and the screen, the scientist received a picture of the bones inside it. And thirdly, the rays shone on the photographic film, so that the results of each study could easily be documented, which was what Wilhelm Roentgen did, the discoveries of which still needed proper design before they could be presented to the public.

Three years after the first experiments, the German physicist published in an academic journal an article to which he attached an image clearly demonstrating the penetrating power of the rays and described the properties he had already studied. Immediately after this, dozens of scientists confirmed this by conducting experiments on their own. In addition, some researchers stated that they encountered this radiation, but did not attach importance to it. Now they were biting their elbows and scolding themselves for inattention, envying what they thought was simply a more fortunate colleague named Wilhelm Roentgen.

Interesting facts about the opening

Immediately after the publication of the article appeared a huge number of clever dealers who claimed that with the help of X-radiation you can look into the human soul. More mundane advertised devices, supposedly allowing to see through clothing. For example, in the USA Edison was ordered to develop theatrical binoculars using radiation. And although the idea failed, it caused a considerable stir. And merchants, who sold clothes, advertised their products, claiming that their goods do not miss the rays, and women can feel safe, which significantly increased sales. All this terribly bothered the scientist, who simply wanted to continue his scientific research.

Application

When Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays and showed what they are capable of, it literally exploded the society. Until then, it was impossible to look inside a living person, to see his tissues without cutting or damaging them. And X-ray radiation showed how the human skeleton looks like in combination with other systems. Medicine was the first and main obast, where open beams were used. With their help, doctors have become much easier to diagnose any problems of the musculoskeletal system, as well as assess the severity of injuries. Later, X-radiation was also used to treat certain diseases.

In addition, these beams are used to detect defects in metal products, and even with their help, the chemical composition of these or other materials can be detected. In art criticism also X-rays are used, with the help of which you can see what is hidden under the upper layers of paint.

Confession

The discovery caused a real stir, which was completely incomprehensible to the scientist. Instead of continuing research, Roentgen Wilhelm was forced to consider and reject the endless proposals of German and American merchants who offered him the design of various instruments based on X-radiation. Journalists also did not allow the scientist to work, constantly appointing meetings and interviews, and each of them asked a question about why X-ray does not want to receive a patent for its discovery. To each of them he answered that he considers the rays to be the property of all mankind and does not feel entitled to limit his use for good purposes.

Awards

Wilhelm Roentgen was characterized by natural modesty and lack of desire for fame. He refused the title of nobility, to which he received the right after the award of the Order. And in 1901 he became the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Despite the fact that this was the highest level of recognition, the researcher did not attend the ceremony, although he accepted the award. Later, he transferred the money to the government. In 1918 he was also awarded the Helmholtz Medal.

Heritage and Memory

All of the same modesty Roentgen Wilhelm called his discovery is very simple - X-radiation. This name got accustomed, however the student of the researcher, the Russian physicist Abram Ioffe, eventually introduced a concept that perpetuated the name of the scientist. The term "X-rays" in foreign speech is used comparatively rarely, but still occurs.

In 1964, one of the craters on the other side of the moon was named after him. In his honor, one of the units for measuring ionizing cure has also been named. In many cities there are streets named after his name, as well as monuments. There is even a whole museum, located in a house where as a child lived Roentgen. The biography of this person may not be full of interesting details, but it perfectly illustrates that high results can be achieved through diligence and perseverance, as well as attentiveness.