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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.
G. W. Carlson and J. W. Behrens
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 66 | Number 2 | May 1978 | Pages 205-216
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE78-1
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The fission cross-section ratios of 233U to 235U and 239Pu to 235U were measured over the neutron energy range from 1 keV to 30 MeV at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory 100-MeV Linac. Ionization fission chambers and the time-of-flight technique were used to take data simultaneously over the entire energy range. This provided accurate determinations of the shape versus neutron energy of the ratios. Two independent methods were used to determine the average value of each ratio in the interval from 1.75 to 4.0 MeV for the purpose of normalization. Over the 1-keV to 30-MeV range, the total uncertainties for the 233U-to-235U data range from 2 to 4%; the 239Pu-to-235U data uncertainties range from 1 to 4%.
