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Conference Spotlight
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.
L. E. Beghian, N. C. Rasmussen, R. Thews, J. Weber
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 15 | Number 4 | April 1963 | Pages 375-381
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE63-A26453
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Nanosecond bursts of monoenergetic neutrons in the range 0.8–1.6 Mev are injected into non-moderating assemblies of bismuth, lead, and natural uranium. The flux in these assmblies is observed to decay exponentially with characteristic nanosecond time constants in good agree-ment with one velocity transport theory, and the known inelastic scattering and absorption cross sections.These experiments serve as a check on the validity of the assumptions of transport theory. The technique also serves as a method for measuring macroscopic inelastic and absorption cross sections directly, without the necessity of making the corrections required in other methods e.g., for double scattering and for the angular distribution.Nanosecond bursts of monoenergetic neutrons in the range 0.8–1.6 Mev are injected into non-moderating assemblies of bismuth, lead, and natural uranium. The flux in these assmblies is observed to decay exponentially with characteristic nanosecond time constants in good agree-ment with one velocity transport theory, and the known inelastic scattering and absorption cross sections.These experiments serve as a check on the validity of the assumptions of transport theory. The technique also serves as a method for measuring macroscopic inelastic and absorption cross sections directly, without the necessity of making the corrections required in other methods e.g., for double scattering and for the angular distribution.