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.
William Primak
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 73 | Number 1 | January 1980 | Pages 29-34
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE80-A18705
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Graphite rods and vitreous silica blocks were exposed to the neutrons generated in a spallation source having a large flux component in the 100-MeV region. The electrical conductivity of the former and the dilatation of the latter were measured. The ratio of the damage rate in silica to that in graphite exceeded that reported for fission neutrons, and this is attributed to the scattering cross sections of carbon falling more in the neutron high-energy region than do those of silicon and oxygen. Within our knowledge of the fluxes and their spectra and the yield functions, no great enhancement of the damage rate is found as compared to that which would be calculated from simple isotropic scattering.
