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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Latest News
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 184 | Number 4 | December 2016 | Pages 591-603
Technical Note | doi.org/10.13182/NSE16-82
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We are investigating a new class of linear characteristics schemes along cyclic tracks for solving the transport equation for neutral particles with scattering anisotropy. These algorithms rely on linear discontinuous exact integration and diamond differencing, as implemented with the method of discrete ordinates. These schemes are 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-of-segment and end-of-segment flux values. The linear discontinuous characteristics (LDC) and quadratic-order diamond differencing (DD1) schemes are inherently conservative. In this technical note, we intend to continue the development of the LDC and DD1 schemes by extending their application to cyclic trackings. This extension will make possible the representation of reflective or general albedo boundary conditions. We will present an improved and much shorter derivation of the LDC and DD1 schemes, compared to a previous presentation. Finally, we will implement the new schemes as Matlab scripts for solving a one-dimensional slab benchmark and in the DRAGON5 lattice code for solving a more representative two-dimensional eight-symmetry pressurized water reactor assembly mock-up.