ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
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.
R.J. Cerbone, E.T. Cheng, Y-K. M. Peng
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 34 | Number 3 | November 1998 | Pages 779-783
Fusion Blanket and Shield Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST98-A11963708
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A spherical torus based volumetric neutron source (ST-VNS) concept has been developed in recent studies as a possible intermediate step to develop the necessary technology for reactor components of future fusion power plants. Such a VNS would complement ITER in testing, developing, and qualifying nuclear technology components. A recently developed design concept for a spherical torus based VNS permits the development capability to increase fusion power and wall loading. Results of neutronics calculations for such a ST-VNS with neutron wall loading ranging from 0.5 to 5 MW/m2 have been competed. In this paper, we report the tritium breeding and neutronics performance of several power blanket compositions and configurations. These include, a helium cooled natural lithium in vanadium alloy structural material blanket; a helium cooled enriched lithium-lead, in a vanadium-alloy structure blanket; and a heterogeneous configured blanket consisting of a dual cooled blanket consisting of enriched lithium-lead enclosed in silicon carbide with ferritic steel for the structural material.