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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
Nolan E. Hertel, R. H. Johnsons, Bernard W. Wehring, John J. Dorning
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 9 | Number 2 | March 1986 | Pages 345-361
Technical Paper | Blanket Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST86-A24721
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Integral experiments have been performed using a homogeneous iron spherical shell to test neutron cross-section data. Neutron leakage spectra from the shell were measured using 252Cf-fission and (deuterium-tritium) D-T-fusion neutron sources and an NE-213 spectrometry system. An associated particle detector was used to monitor the absolute D-T neutron source strength as well as any accompanying deuterium-deuterium neutron contamination. The leakage spectra were calculated using the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code VIM and the discrete ordinates Sn code ANISN employing ENDF/B-IV. For neutron energies between 1 and 5 MeV, the calculations underpredicted the leakage spectrum by factors of 1.4 to 2 for the californium neutron source and of 2 to 3 for the D-T neutron source. The large discrepancies are attributed to inadequate representation of cross-section resonance structure (namely, minima); inadequate representation of the angular and secondary energy distributions for continuum inelastic scattering and (n,2n) reactions also contribute to these discrepancies.