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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.
Alain Hébert
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 169 | Number 1 | September 2011 | Pages 81-97
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE10-39
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We are investigating a new class of linear characteristics schemes along finite-length tracks for solving the transport equation for neutral particles with scattering anisotropy. These algorithms are based on diamond differencing, as implemented with the method of discrete ordinates. The quadratic-order diamond-differencing (DD1) scheme is based on linear discontinuous coefficients that are derived through the application of approximations describing the mesh-averaged spatial flux moments in terms of spatial source moments and of the beginning- and end-of-segment flux values. This DD1 linear characteristics scheme is inherently conservative. This approach is an improvement relative to other linear characteristics schemes because no information needs to be collected on internal surfaces. Consequently, the DD1 scheme is compatible with existing tracking files for the collision-probability method. The proposed scheme is verified in one-dimensional slab geometry where it is found to be equivalent to a discrete ordinates solution and on simple two-dimensional benchmarks made of regular squares or hexagons.