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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 Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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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.
A. C. Merchant, P. E. Hodgson, H. R. Schelin
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 111 | Number 2 | June 1992 | Pages 132-144
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE92-A23929
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The experimental data on the interactions of I- to 20-MeV neutrons with 238U are summarized, together with the theoretical analyses. Particular attention is devoted to the elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections because of their practical importance. Functional forms for the surface and volume imaginary terms of the optical potential are chosen so that the dispersion relation, by means of which these terms generate additional contributions to the real part of the optical potential, can be evaluated analytically. The fission and capture cross sections are not included as they have been extensively reviewed elsewhere.
