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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.
Winfried Amian, Detlev Stöver
Nuclear Technology | Volume 61 | Number 3 | June 1983 | Pages 475-486
Technical Paper | New Directions in Nuclear Energy with Emphasis on Fuel Cycles / Nuclear Fuel | doi.org/10.13182/NT61-475
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fractional releases of silver and cesium from irradiated silicon-carbide-layered coated particles have been measured during isothermal anneals in the temperature range between 1273 and 1773 K. The release rates measured have been evaluated with the aid of a statistical numerical treatment based on a simple diffusion model in multizone geometry. The resulting diffusion coefficients can be described byfor silver andfor cesium, respectively. A statistical treatment of the data gives corresponding 95% confidence limits. It is argued that the pathway of cesium and silver transport in siliconcarbide layers is grain boundary diffusion. This explains the large scatter found in the data for coating layers because the defect structure depends on the individual manufacturing conditions and varies from coating to coating. Comparison with data from the literature shows the superiority of silicon carbide with respect to silver retention relative to diffusion rates in pyrocarbons, while cesium data indicate no distinct improvement.