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Conference Spotlight
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.
Walter H. D'Ardenne, Henry E. Bliss, David D. Lanning, Irving Kaplan and Theos J. Thompson
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 32 | Number 3 | June 1968 | Pages 283-291
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE68-A20210
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Reactor physics parameters were measured in three heavy water lattices consisting of 0.250-in.-diam, 1.03 wt% 235U metal fuel rods in triangular arrays spaced at 1.25, 1.75, and 2.50 in. The following quantities were measured in each lattice: the ratio of epicadmium to subcadmium radiative captures in 238U (ρ28); the ratio of epicadmium to subcadmium fissions in 235U (δ25); the ratio of radiative captures in 238U to fissions in 235U (C); and the fissions in 238U to fissions in 235U (δ28). These experimental results were used to calculate the following reactor physics parameters for each lattice: the resonance escape probability p, the fast fission factor ϵ, the multiplication factor for an infinite system k∞, and the initial conversion ratio C. Analytical results obtained by using THERMOS and GAM-I are in fair agreement with the experimental results.
