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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.
J. W. Boldeman, J. Fréhaut, R. L. Walsh
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 63 | Number 4 | August 1977 | Pages 430-436
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE77-A27060
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Corrections of the large liquid scintillator measurements by Boldeman et al. and Soleilhac et al. for the delayed gamma rays from fission have produced consistent values for the average number of prompt neutrons () produced in the fission of 235U. The absolute value of for thermal-neutron fission is 2.389 ± 0.009, and the energy dependence is approximately linear. The data do not support the existence of fine structure between 200 and 600 keV nor the broad step-like structural dependence found in recent evaluations. However, there is the suggestion of a slight flattening of the curve representing the data between 250 and 600 keV.
