ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
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!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2025
Nuclear Technology
August 2025
Fusion Science and Technology
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.
Ahmed Badruzzaman
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 198 | Number 1 | January 2024 | Pages 7-30
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2023.2177073
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Accelerators have been integral to subsurface probing for decades. Tools with deuterium-tritium (D-T) generators and scintillators utilizing gamma rays from thermal neutron capture, inelastic scattering, and activation are routine in cased-hole logging tools for reservoir and well monitoring to locate and quantify remaining hydrocarbons prior to initiating secondary or tertiary production. X-ray and neutron generators field-tested to, respectively, replace 137Cs and americium-beryllium (Am-Be) source tools that measure two bulk parameters, formation density and neutron porosity critical for initial characterization of formations, have yielded mixed results. D-T generator-based spectroscopy tools with advanced scintillators that can record both inelastic and capture n-gamma spectra, faster and with much better energy resolution, to provide a more complete mineralogy appear poised to replace Am-Be–based mineralogy tools. In view of their ability to measure both bulk and spectral parameters, accelerator-based nuclear methods appear attractive to extract additional geological information needed to transition to a low-carbon energy future.
The paper discusses the current state of application of accelerator-based subsurface probing techniques, notes their potential for nonpetroleum applications, and concludes by briefly exploring technology advances that could significantly advance the state of the art.