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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.
S. K. Bhattacharyya, J. A. Morman, R. G. Bucher, D. M. Smith, W. R. Robinson, E. F. Bennett
Nuclear Technology | Volume 50 | Number 3 | October 1980 | Pages 197-218
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32524
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A possible accident scenario in a gas-cooled fast reactor (GCFR) is the leakage of secondary steam into the core. A full-scale experimental study of the physics effects of such an accidental condition has been performed on the zero power reactor (ZPR)-9 critical facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Polyethylene foam strips were used to simulate steam for these measurements. The basic neutronics parameters, namely, neutron spectrum, spectral indexes, reactivity worths, 238U Doppler effect, and B4C control rod worths, were measured in the steam-flooded GCFR critical assembly and also in the corresponding dry, reference GCFR assembly. The results of these measurements clearly show the spectrum softening effects on steam entry. For the analysis of the experiments, ENDF/B-IV-based data were used with two-dimensional diffusion theory methods. It was concluded that the values of the primary safety parameters increased upon steam entry relative to the reference dry case. Such an increase would mitigate the effects of accidental steam entry in a GCFR.