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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.
D. C. Harris, J. N. Beck, W. L. Raines, J. T. Harvey, K. G. W. Inn, J. L. Meason, H. L. Wright
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 63 | Number 4 | August 1977 | Pages 504-507
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE77-A27065
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The mass-yield distribution for the neutroninduced fission of 238U by degraded fission spectrum neutrons with an average energy of 1.52 MeV has been measured radiochemically for 26 mass chains in the region A = 89 to 153. Germanium-lithium gamma-ray spectroscopy coupled with beta-particle counting techniques was used to determine the absolute activities of each nuclide measured. The absolute cumulative fission yield of mass chain 140 (140Ba - 140La) was determined to be 6.07 ± 0.24%, and all other reported yields were measured relative to that value. Measured yields ranged from a maximum of 6.33 ± 0.55% for 103Ru on the light mass wing and 6.54 ± 0.28% for 133I on the heavy mass wing to a minimum of 0.030 ± 0.007% for 121Sn in the valley region. Results from this investigation provide a consistent set of cumulative mass yields from 238U fission induced by a well-characterized neutron spectrum.