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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.
G. S. Sidhu, W. E. Farley, L. F. Hansen, T. Komoto, B. Pohl, C. Wong
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 63 | Number 1 | May 1977 | Pages 48-54
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE77-A27003
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We have measured the spectra of neutrons and secondary gamma rays emerging from a liquid-nitrogen sphere of 129.3-cm radius with a 14-MeV neutron source at its center. Time-of-flight techniques were used to obtain the detailed data and to minimize background. To compare the measurements with calculations, we folded the detector efficiencies and appropriate experimental parameters into the calculated output of TARTNP, a coupled neutron-photon Monte Carlo transport code utilizing the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Evaluated Neutron Data Library, September 1975. The calculated neutron spectra show fair agreement with the measurements, and the calculated gamma-ray spectrum is nearly the same as the corresponding measured spectrum. The total biological dose derived from these measurements is in good agreement with the calculations and provides a benchmark for a dose-versus-range curve obtained by TARTNP calculations.