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Conference Spotlight
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.
T. Tajima, A. Necas, G. Mourou, S. Gales, M. Leroy
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 77 | Number 4 | May 2021 | Pages 251-265
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2021.1889918
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We introduce a concept of laser-generated neutrons to transmute transuranic elements separated from spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and dissolved in a molten salt to form a subcritical core whose liquid state allows and facilitates safety, laser irradiation, and monitoring of chemical and physical properties. In this transmutation concept (the transmutator), the neutrons are generated via beam-target fusion whereas the beam is created by laser irradiation of nanometric foils through the Coherent Acceleration of Ions by Laser (CAIL) process. This relatively low deuteron energy is catapulted by fusion and eventually by secondary fission processes. The combination of the use of molten salt and laser allows us to introduce rapid feedback control of the system’s operation. The transmutator is an integral part of the partitioning and transmutation concept whereby the radiotoxicity of SNF is significantly reduced together with the required storage duration and volume. To enable this transmutator, we introduce integrated ideas and processes in the areas of lasers, neutronics, first-wall material, and chemistry.