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.
Giacomo G. M. Cojazzi, Guido Renda, Jor Shan Choi, Jim Hassberger
Nuclear Technology | Volume 179 | Number 1 | July 2012 | Pages 76-90
Technical Paper | Special Issue on Safeguards / Fuel Cycle and Management | doi.org/10.13182/NT179-76
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR&PP) Working Group has developed a methodology for the PR&PP evaluation of advanced nuclear energy systems (NESs). A notional sodium-cooled fast neutron nuclear reactor system, named the Example Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR), was used as a case study for the development and demonstration of the GIF PR&PP evaluation methodology. This paper presents some of the results of the application of the GIF PR&PP evaluation methodology to a misuse scenario involving the ESFR. The ESFR baseline design and two design variations are addressed. Rather than presenting a complete evaluation of all the possible misuse scenarios, the paper concentrates on methodological aspects and illustrates how a qualitative analysis following the GIF PR&PP evaluation methodology can generate traceable results of the considered design variations and provide useful feedback for both system and safeguards designers as well.