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September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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.
Frej Wasastjerna
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 78 | Number 3 | July 1981 | Pages 297-304
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE81-A20308
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Various fairly simple approximations for the scalar flux distribution in an infinite slab with vacuum on both sides and a µn distributed incoming neutron flux at one surface are studied, and the resulting expressions for the outgoing fluxes at the surfaces are compared with Maynard's results in an attempt to find an approximation that will give an error <10% in the outgoing currents for values of c (the number of secondaries per collision) slightly <1 and τ (the optical thickness) up to 5. Of the approximations studied, only a parabolic flux distribution with all components determined from the integral transport equation gave acceptable results.
