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September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
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.
Bruno Coppi, F. Porcelli
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 13 | Number 3 | March 1988 | Pages 447-452
Technical Paper | Alpha-Particle Workshop / Alpha Workshop | doi.org/10.13182/FST88-A25122
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The possibility that plasma oscillation bursts (“fish-bones”) could be excited in a fusion burning plasma is pointed out. The relevant instability is brought about by the resonant interaction between an m0 = 1 mode and slowed down alpha particles in the 300- to 400-keV energy range. The resulting resonant scattering of these intermediate energy particles does not appear to affect significantly the alpha-particle heating power. The drift of the banana orbits of 3.5-MeV alpha particles in the fluctuating field associated with this instability and the possible secondary instabilities driven by the locally depleted alpha-particle distribution function may have more serious consequences.