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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. U. Ahmed, R. G. Cochran
Nuclear Technology | Volume 17 | Number 1 | January 1973 | Pages 66-70
Technical Paper | Radiation | doi.org/10.13182/NT73-A31255
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Total gamma-ray attenuation coefficients for five different elements were measured for energies 6.02-, 7.28-, 7.72-, 8.49-, 9.3-, and 9.88-MeV gamma rays. The nuclear resonance scattering method was used in the attenuation of photons for the two energies, 7.28 and 8.49 MeV. For the other energies the direct narrow beam method was used. The total attenuation coefficients were measured with an average uncertainty of 0.6% and appeared to be in better agreement with the tabulated values of Hubbel and Berger than those of Storm and Israel.