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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.
K. L. Ferguson, C. G. Poncelet, and A. J. Impink, Jr.
Nuclear Technology | Volume 29 | Number 1 | April 1976 | Pages 37-52
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT76-A16288
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A current widespread procedure relies on the use of a reactivity meter for differential control rod measurements in nuclear reactors. From an observational point of view, the reactivity meter will measure the correct core reactivity if the input to the meter is proportional to the neutron amplitude function. A single detector reading is generally proportional to the amplitude function only if the point kinetics approximation is valid, that is, if the spatial flux distribution is invariant in time.
