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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.
Richard Sporrer, John M. Christenson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 25 | Number 3 | March 1975 | Pages 440-449
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT75-A24382
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fission-product decay heat rates in shutdown 239Pu-fueled fast reactors are determined by direct calculation using a modified version of the CINDER code with a fission-product library of 344 nuclides. Systematic variations in fluence, flux level, irradiation time, and the initial 238U/239pu ratio are made for the ranges of current interest, and their effects on the decay heat rate for the first ten years after reactor shutdown are investigated. Variations in irradiation history and the 238U/239Pu ratio over the ranges considered cause the total decay heat rate to vary by <18% during the first day after shutdown.
