Roentgen (unit) Roentgen (unit) The roentgen or röntgen () (symbol R) is a legacy unit of measurement for the exposure of X-rays and gamma rays. It is defined as the electric charge freed by such radiation in a specified volume of air divided by the mass of that air. In 1928 it was the first international measurement quantity for ionising radiation to be defined for radiation protection, and was an easily replicated method of measuring air ionization directly by using an ion chamber. It is named after the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen, who discovered X-rays. Although relatively easy to measure, it had
Roentgen (unit) In radiation protection the absorbed dose is the energy absorption which is an indication of likely acute tissue effects occurring at high dose rates, and from low levels of absorbed dose the equivalent dose, representing the stochastic health risk, can be calculated; for which the current SI units used are the gray (Gy) and the sievert (Sv) respectively. The roengten has been redefined over the years. It was last defined by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 1998 as , with a recommendation that the definition be given in every document where the roentgen is used.