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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 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!
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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.
E. E. MORRIS, A. B. CHILTON, A. F VETTER
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 56 | Number 2 | February 1975 | Pages 171-178
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE75-A26655
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Buildup factors for energy deposition in water and aluminum and for exposure in concrete are presented for monoenergetic, point isotropic gamma-ray sources. The buildup fac. tors were evaluated using the method of moments and are tabulated for energies from 0.03 to 10 MeV and distances out to 50 mean -free-paths from the source. Empirical representations of these buildup factors are developed using Berger’s formula. Fitting parameters are tabulated for each material as a function of source energy.
