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.
Jorge V. Carvajal, Michael D. Heibel, Nicola G. Arlia, Andrew Bascom, Kenan Ünlü
Nuclear Technology | Volume 197 | Number 2 | February 2017 | Pages 201-208
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NT16-92
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper describes the novel implementation of a vacuum-micro-electronic (VME) device configured as a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting, within a nuclear radiation environment, a radio-frequency signal proportional to a voltage input. The VME device discussed in this paper would enable key operating parameters of every fuel assembly in a commercial reactor core to be continuously monitored without adding vessel penetrations and cabling.
The device's frequency and amplitude response to radiation are discussed, and the results of irradiation testing are presented. The results of the irradiation test show that the device described herein can withstand the exposure to a neutron fluence and gamma-ray dose substantially higher than previously achieved.