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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!
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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.
T. A. Gabriel, B. L. Bishop, F. W. Wiffen
Nuclear Technology | Volume 38 | Number 3 | May 1978 | Pages 427-433
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT78-A32040
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The displacement per atom and gas production rates have been calculated for a number of alloys and elements using a design neutron spectrum at the first wall of a fusion reactor. These rates can be combined for most alloys to yield the defect production rates, the parameters currently used to extrapolate available irradiation effects data to fusion reactor conditions. Calculated rates of atom displacement and hydrogen generation in stainless steels are relatively insensitive to recent changes in the nuclear data files and to neutron spectrum differences produced by slight reactor design changes. In contrast, the helium production rate is sensitive to these changes and to the exact alloy composition. Composition variation within the specification range for Type 316 stainless steel can produce variations of ±9% in the helium generation rate.