Celebrating the Roentgen anniversary year-pupil experiments at Aschaffenburg University

摘要

On November 8th, 1895, Professor Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was still working late on cathode rays in his laboratory at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany. By chance, he found a new type of radiation that was able to penetrate materials. He himself called them X-rays. In his honour, in Germany we call this type of radiation Roentgen's rays since 1896. In 2020, Germany was celebrating the Roentgen anniversary year, recognizing the discovery of X-rays 125 years ago and the 175th birthday of its discoverer Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, the first Nobel laureate in physics. Financed by a grant from the Klaus Tschira Foundation, the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museums in Mannheim and the German Roentgen Museum in Remscheid developed an "X-periments mobile" with interactive experiments for children and young people. Following the given motto "X-periments - making the invisible visible", this research station with optical experiments started traveling across Germany in the anniversary year and, due to the corona pandemic in the following year. In summer 2021, the "X-periments mobile" will make a guest appearance at Aschaffenburg University. The experimental set-ups enable school classes and students to gain an overview of optical technologies from infrared light to ultraviolet radiation to X-rays and gamma rays. The aim of the campaign is to inspire the young generation and to attract students for courses in science and technology. This contribution presents the historical discovery of X-rays, the "X-periments mobile" and its experiments, its intention, and the experiences from its stays at different places across Germany.