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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.
David Bernard, Olivier Fabbris, Romain Gardet
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 179 | Number 3 | March 2015 | Pages 302-312
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE13-104
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Three similar experiments performed in the 8-MW(thermal) MELUSINE experimental power pool reactor aimed at analyzing 1 GWd/tonne HM spent fuel pellets doped with several actinides and fission products. The goal was to measure the energy-integrated neutron-induced capture cross section in three different neutron spectra (from pressurized water reactor–like to undermoderated ones). This paper summarizes the combined deterministic APOLLO2 and stochastic TRIPOLI4 analysis using the JEFF-3.1.1 European nuclear data library. Very good agreement is observed for most neutron-induced capture cross sections of actinides except for a clear underestimation of 241Am(n,γ). An accurate value of its associated isomeric branching ratio is also suggested. A resonant fluctuation (factor of 2.7 between the two available excited levels regarding the l = 0 total orbital momenta) is suggested for this isomeric branching capture ratio. Finally, a precise value (more accurate than the reported JEFF-3.1.1 one) of the decay branching ratio of 242gAm(β+/ε) is deduced: 0.171 ± 0.001.
