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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
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.
Thomas E. Stephenson, Alberto M. Ferrer
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 46 | Number 2 | November 1971 | Pages 266-273
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE71-A22360
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Resonance parameters for 74 resonances of 165Ho below 500 eV, selected from the literature and from values compiled and recommended in BNL-325, are used as the starting point in fitting the total neutron cross-section data to a sum of the Breit-Wigner multilevel scattering and single-level capture formulas. The addition of two bound levels, one for each s-wave spin state, yields a calculated ratio of thermal neutron capture cross sections for the two s-wave spin states which agrees with experiment (≈60% of thermal capture into J = 3 states), as does the calculated value of the thermal capture cross section, 67 b. In addition, the two bound levels enable the fit of the total cross-section data to be extended to very low energies (0.2 mV). The coherent scattering cross section has been calculated and is in good agreement with the experimental value of 9.1 b. The free atom nuclear scattering cross section has been calculated to be 10.6 b. The calculated value of the potential scattering is 7.8 b and the effective scattering radius is 7.9 f. The energy-dependent paramagnetic scattering cross section (23.5 b at 0.0253 eV) and the capture and scattering resonance integrals have also been calculated (≈703 and 125 b, respectively).
