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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.
Qing Biao Shen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 132 | Number 1 | October 2000 | Pages 61-65
Technical Paper | Accelerator Applications | doi.org/10.13182/NT00-A3129
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A white light neutron source can be produced if a thick target is bombarded by an intense proton beam of 70 MeV. With metal tungsten as a target material, the calculations are made by using the SPEC and DDCS programs. The calculated results show that the reactions occur for 4.6% of incident 70-MeV protons before stopping in a thick W target. The total neutron intensity produced by a 70-MeV and 200-A proton beam is 1.01 × 1014/s. The average neutron energy is 4.19 MeV. The neutron intensity >10 MeV is 1.15 × 1013/s, of which most is emitted in the forward small-angle region. This kind of white light neutron source is very useful in practice.
