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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.
Donald J. Dudziak
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 27 | Number 2 | February 1967 | Pages 328-337
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE67-A18272
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Effective two-group gamma-ray spectra have been determined for thermal-neutron capture in sodium, nickel, type-304 stainless steel, and tantalum, as well as for 235 U prompt-fission gamma rays. A seven-group compilation of capture gamma rays was used as the basis for this study. Absorbed dose (uncollided and builtup) in several materials was calculated for varying thicknesses of several intervening shielding materials. The resulting function for each combination was reduced to two exponential functions over a range of 0 up to 560 g/cm2. Effective spectra were determined to be as follows: sodium, 6.09 MeV/capture at 5.5 MeV and 5.74 MeV/capture at 2.0 MeV; nickel, 8.33 MeV/capture at 8.0 MeV and 1.62 MeV/capture at 2.0 MeV; type-304 SS, 5.86 MeV/capture at 8.0 MeV and 1.95 MeV/capture at 2.0 MeV; tantalum, 3.76 MeV/capture at 4.0 MeV and 2.88 MeV/capture at 1.5 MeV; prompt fission, 2.31 MeV/fission at 4.0 MeV and4.92 MeV/fission at 1.25 MeV. These effective spectra reproduce, to within an average absolute deviation of less than 7.4%, the absorbed doses (uncollided and builtup) calculated by the detailed spectra, within the ranges of areal density considered.
