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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
J. M. Robson, J. Kroon
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 1 | Number 1 | January 1981 | Pages 160-164
Technical Note | Fusion | doi.org/10.13182/FST81-A19923
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Measurements have been made of the thermal neutron fluxes at various distances from a point source of 14-MeV neutrons embedded in three large shields. The first shield consisted of a 24-m3 assembly of solid concrete building blocks of density 2.2 g/cm3 and gave an attenuation length of 14.1 ± 0.7 cm at a distance of 150 cm from the source. The second shield was a layered assembly of wood and concrete blocks with a mean density of 1.92 g/cm3 and gave an attenuation length of 15.7 ± 0.7 cm at the same distance. The third assembly consisted of a cube of side 61 cm of steel surrounded by concrete blocks; at a distance of 120 cm from the source it gave an attenuation length of 9.3 ± 0.4 cm.
