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roentgen

 
Dictionary: roent·gen  rönt·gen (rĕnt'gən, -jən, rŭnt'-) pronunciation
also n. (Abbr. R or r)
A unit of radiation exposure equal to the quantity of ionizing radiation that will produce one electrostatic unit of electricity in one cubic centimeter of dry air at 0°C and standard atmospheric pressure.

[After Wilhelm Konrad ROENTGEN.]

roentgen roent'gen adj.

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Chemistry Dictionary: roentgen
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The former unit of dose equivalent (see radiation units). It is named after the discoverer of X-rays, W. K. Roentgen (1845–1923).



Dental Dictionary: roentgen ray
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(rent′gən)
n
r

An international unit based on the ability of radiation to ionize air. The exposure to x or gamma radiation such that the associated corpuscular emission per 0.001293 Gm of air produces, in air, ions carrying 1 esu of quantity of electricity of either sign (2.083 billion ion pairs).


[ܒrentgǝn; ܒrǝnt-; -jǝn]

ˈrentgǝn; ˈrǝnt-; -jǝn n.a unit of exposure dose of gamma (or X) radiation. One roentgen is essentially equal to one rad.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Measures and Units: roentgen
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[Etymology: W. K. Röntgen; Germany 1845-1923] radiation physics Symbol R, röntgen. An obsolescent unit of ionizing electromagnetic radiation, being the quantity of x-rays or gamma rays that, through ionization, produces 2.58 × 10-4 coulombs of electricity per kilogram of dry air at s.t.p.

The roentgen was originated relative only to x-rays, being agreed in 1928 as the amount that would produce 1 electrostatic unit of electric charge from 1 cubic centimetre of standard dry air. In 1937, for practical reasons, mass replaced volume for the reference amount of air, making the amount 1.293~ mg of air. The 1978 decision of the CIPM considering it acceptable to continue to use the roentgen with the SI still stands.

Such ionization displaces electrons from individual atoms to produce negatively charged free electrons and matching positively charged ions; 1 roentgen produces 1.61~ × 1015 of each per kilogram. The energy required for such displacing is 8.69~ mJ·kg-1 or 11.2~ mJ·m-3.

Using this energy figure of 8.69~ mJ·kg-1, the roentgen was extended to apply to materials other than air, and to the particulate radiation of alpha and beta rays. In this extended form it was called the tissue roentgen or, much more usually, the roentgen equivalent physical, abbreviated to and universally called the rep. However, the roentgen itself was often so used; until 1956 it was used in a radiological context not only as a measure of exposure (which it correctly is) but also as a measure of absorbed dose; the rad took over the latter role.

Until 1952 the British authorities used a version about 8% less.

Veterinary Dictionary: roentgen
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A superseded international unit of x- or γ-radiation; it is the quantity of x- or γ-radiation such that the associated corpuscular emission per 0.001293 g of air produces, in air, ions carrying 1 electrostatic unit of electrical charge of either sign. Abbreviated R. Now replaced by coulomb/kg (C/kg); see coulomb. 1 R = 2.58 × 10−4 C/kg; 1 C/kg = 3876 R.

  • r. equivalent man (rem) — see rem.
  • r. equivalent physical (rep) — see rep.
  • r. ray — x-ray.
Military Dictionary: roentgen
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(DOD, NATO) A unit of exposure dose of gamma (or X-) radiation. In field dosimetry, one roentgen is essentially equal to one rad.

Wikipedia: Röntgen
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The röntgen or roentgen (symbol R) is a unit of measurement for ionizing radiation (such as X-ray and gamma rays), and is named after the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen. Adopted in 1928[1], 1 R is the amount of radiation required to liberate positive and negative charges of one electrostatic unit of charge (esu) in 1 cm³ of dry air at standard temperature and pressure (STP). This corresponds to the generation of approximately 2.08×109 ion pairs.

Until 2006, the röntgen was accepted for use with the SI system but in this case its value is expressed in terms of the SI units charge divided by unit mass (C/kg) rather than as in the original definition. Although its use was allowable under the SI system, it is not itself an SI unit and continued use is "strongly discouraged" by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.[2]

Contents

Explanation

The röntgen was occasionally used to measure exposure to radiation in other forms than X-rays or gamma rays. To adjust for the different impact of different forms of radiation on biological matter, "röntgen equivalent man" or rem was also in use. Exposure in rems is equal to the exposure in röntgens multiplied by the Q value, a constant describing the type of radiation. The rem is now superseded by the sievert (see the latter for a list of Q values).

Conversion

In SI units, 1 R = 2.58×10−4 C/kg (from 1 esu ≈ 3.33564 × 10−10 C and the standard atmosphere air density of ~1.293 kg/m³).[2]

Dosage

The weather station outside of the Atomic Testing Museum on a hot summer day. Displayed background gamma radiation level is 9.8 μR/h which would be approximately 150 mR per year. The station is part of the Community Environmental Monitoring Network(CEMP).

On this scale a dose of about 500 R in 5 hours is lethal for humans.

A typical dose of normal background radiation for a human is 200 mR per year.

See also

References

  1. ^ Van Loon, R.; and Van Tiggelen, R., Radiation Dosimetry in Medical Exposure: A Short Historical Overview, 2004>
  2. ^ a b Taylor, BN, "Units temporarily accepted for use with the SI", NIST Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), chapter 5, Physics Laboratory Publications, April 1995, retrieved and archived [1] 12th June 2008

External links


Translations: Roentgen
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - røntgen

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    røntgenstråler

Nederlands (Dutch)
röntgen

Français (French)
n. - Röntgen

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    rayons Röntgen

Deutsch (German)
n. - Röntgen

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    Röntgenstrahlen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ακτίνες Χ, ακτίνες Ραίντγκεν

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    ακτίνες Ραίντγκεν

Italiano (Italian)
idioms:

  • roentgen rays    raggi X

Português (Portuguese)
idioms:

  • roentgen rays    raio x

Русский (Russian)
рентген

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    рентгеновские лучи

Español (Spanish)
n. - rayos roentgen

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    rayos X

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - (fys) Röntgen (enhet)

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
伦琴

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    X光射线

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 倫琴

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    X光射線

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 뢴트겐

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - レントゲン
adj. - レントゲンの

idioms:

  • roentgen rays    レントゲン線

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الوحدة الدوليه لأشعه إكس‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮צילום או שיקוף בקרני רנטגן‬


 
 

 

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