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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Nuclear Data Sheets for A=40

The experimental nuclear structure data and decay data are evaluated for the known nuclides of mass 40 (Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ar, K, Ca, Sc, Ti). Detailed evaluated nuclear structure information is presented with the best values recommended for level energies, half-lives, γ-ray energies and intensities, decay properties (energies, intensities and placement of radiations), and other spectroscopic data. The {sup 40}Ca and {sup 40}K nuclides remain as the most extensively studied from many different reactions and decays; no excited states are known in {sup 40}Mg, {sup 40}Al, {sup 40}P and {sup 40}Ti. This work supersedes the earlier full evaluation of A=40 by J. Cameron and B. Singh (2004Ca38).

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hot-melt extrudability of amorphous solid dispersions of flubendazole-copovidone: An exploratory study of the effect of drug loading and the balance of adjuvants on extrudability and dissolution

The FDA-approved anthelmintic flubendazole has shown potential to be repositioned to treat cancer and dry macular degeneration; however, its poor water solubility limits its use. Amorphous solid dispersions may overcome this challenge, but the balance of excipients may impact the preparation method and drug release. Here, we evaluate the influence of adjuvants and drug loading on the development of an amorphous solid dispersion of flubendazole-copovidone by hot-melt extrusion. The drug, copovidone, and adjuvants (magnesium stearate and hydroxypropyl cellulose) mixtures were statistically designed, and the process was performed in a twin-screw extruder. The study showed that flubendazole and copovidone mixtures were highly extrudable, except when drug loading was high (>40%). Furthermore, magnesium stearate positively impacted the extrusion and was more effective than hydroxypropyl cellulose. The extruded materials were evaluated by modulated differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction, obtaining positive amorphization and physical stability results. Pair distribution function analysis indicated the presence of drug rich domains with medium-range order structure and no evidence of polymer-drug interaction. All extrudates presented faster dissolution (HCl, pH 1.2) than pure flubendazole, and both adjuvants had a notable influence on the dissolution rate. In conclusion, hot-melt extrusion may be a viable option to obtain stable flubendazole: copovidone amorphous dispersions.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Phase 1/2 Study of the Addition of Cisplatin to Adjuvant Chemotherapy With Image Guided High-Precision Radiation Therapy for Completely Resected Gastric Cancer

Purpose: Locoregional recurrence is common after surgery for gastric cancer. Adjuvant therapy improves outcomes but with toxicity. This phase 1/2 study investigated infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in combination with biweekly cisplatin delivered concurrently with image guided high-precision radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients had completely resected stage IB to IV (Union for International Cancer Control TNM 6th edition) nonmetastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. Treatment constituted 12 weeks of infusional 5-FU (200 mg/m{sup 2}/day) with cisplatin added in a standard 3 + 3 dose escalation protocol (0, 20, 30, and 40 mg/m{sup 2}) during weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7, and an additional week 9 dose in the final cohort. Radiation therapy (45 Gy in 25 fractions) was delivered during weeks 3 to 7. Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined in phase 1 and confirmed in phase 2. Results: Among the 55 patients (median age, 54 years; range 28-77 years; 55% male), the median follow-up time was 3.0 years (range, 0.3-5.3 years). Five patients in phase 1 experienced dose-limiting toxicity, and MTD was determined as 4 cycles of 40 mg/m{sup 2} cisplatin. Twenty-seven patients were treated at MTD. Acute grade 3 to 4 toxicity rate was 37.0% at MTD and 29.1% across all dose levels. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Fourteen patients experienced recurrent disease. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival were 85% and 74%, respectively. Median OS has not been reached. Quality of life (QOL) was impaired during treatment, but most scores recovered by 4 weeks. Conclusion: Cisplatin can be safely delivered with 5-FU–based chemoradiation therapy. Acute toxicity was acceptable, and patient-reported QOL showed the regimen was tolerable. Outcomes are encouraging and justify further study of this regimen.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis in aqueous suspension on the South American common frog Leptodactylus latrans (Anura: Leptodactylidae) tadpoles

The effects of commercial formulations of Bacillus thuringiensisvar.israelensis (Bti) on non-target organisms are still a matter of debate; in amphibians, the risks of Bti are little known. To evaluate the toxicity of a commercial liquid (aqueous suspension, AS) formulation of Bti (Introban{sup ®}) on Leptodactylus latrans tadpoles, including median lethal concentration (LC{sub 50}) and no-and lowest–observed-effect concentrations (NOEC and LOEC, respectively), as well as the possible effects of Bti on oxidative responses, erythrocytes genotoxicity, and histology of the intestines. In the laboratory, tadpoles were exposed to nominal concentrations of 0 (control), 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/L of formulated Bti-AS. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as formation of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENAs), and histological effect were measured in tadpoles displaying survival rates >85%. L. latrans tadpoles were sensitive to exposure to Bti-AS, reaching 100% mortality after 48 h of exposure at the highest concentration. Bti-AS induced GST and CAT enzymes and genotoxicity (erythrocyte's nuclear abnormalities), and caused intestine's histopathology. Our results demonstrate that toxicity of Bti-AS is dose-dependent for L. latrans tadpoles and that sublethal exposure alters enzymes of oxidative stress, induces genotoxicity, and causes intestine damage. Further research is needed to evaluate the ecotoxicological risk of the massive use of Bti formulations on amphibian populations that commonly used suburban wastewater or urban waterbodies to reproduce and where this biopesticide is frequently applied. - Highlights: • An ecotoxicological evaluation of a Bti formulation on amphibian was conducted. • Toxicity of Bti-AS was dose-dependent for Leptodactylus latrans tadpoles. • Sublethal exposure altered the enzymes of oxidative stress (GST and CAT). • Bti-AS was genotoxic because increased MN frequencies (CO: 0.82–2.74‰). • Bti-AS caused the inflammatory infiltration in the lamina propria of intestine.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Longitudinal Changes in Active Bone Marrow for Cervical Cancer Patients Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy

Purpose: To quantify longitudinal changes in active bone marrow (ABM) distributions within unirradiated (extrapelvic) and irradiated (pelvic) bone marrow (BM) in cervical cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Methods and Materials: We sampled 39 cervical cancer patients treated with CRT, of whom 25 were treated with concurrent cisplatin (40 mg/m{sup 2}) and 14 were treated with cisplatin (40 mg/m{sup 2}) plus gemcitabine (50-125 mg/m{sup 2}) (C/G). Patients underwent {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic/computed tomographic imaging at baseline and 1.5 to 6.0 months after treatment. ABM was defined as the subvolume of bone with standardized uptake value (SUV) above the mean SUV of the total bone. The primary aim was to measure the compensatory response, defined as the change in the log of the ratio of extrapelvic versus pelvic ABM percentage from baseline to after treatment. We also quantified the change in the proportion of ABM and mean SUV in pelvic and extrapelvic BM using a 2-sided paired t test. Results: We observed a significant increase in the overall extrapelvic compensatory response after CRT (0.381; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.312, 0.449) and separately in patients treated with cisplatin (0.429; 95% CI: 0.340, 0.517) and C/G (0.294; 95% CI: 0.186, 0.402). We observed a trend toward higher compensatory response in patients treated with cisplatin compared with C/G (P=.057). Pelvic ABM percentage was reduced after CRT both in patients receiving cisplatin (P<.001) and in those receiving C/G (P<.001), whereas extrapelvic ABM percentage was increased in patients receiving cisplatin (P<.001) and C/G (P<.001). The mean SUV in pelvic structures was lower after CRT with both cisplatin (P<.001) and C/G (P<.001). The mean SUV appeared lower in extrapelvic structures after CRT in patients treated with C/G (P=.076) but not with cisplatin (P=.942). We also observed that older age and more intense chemotherapy regimens were correlated with a decreased compensatory response on multivariable analysis. In patients treated with C/G, mean pelvic bone marrow dose was found to be negatively correlated with the compensatory response. Conclusion: Patients have differing subacute compensatory responses after CRT, owing to variable recovery in unirradiated marrow. Intensive chemotherapy regimens appear to decrease the extrapelvic compensatory response, which may lead to increased hematologic toxicity.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cadmium, type 2 diabetes, and kidney damage in a cohort of middle-aged women

Background: It has been proposed that diabetic patients are more sensitive to the nephrotoxicity of cadmium (Cd) compared to non-diabetics, but few studies have examined this in humans, and results are inconsistent. Aim: To test the hypothesis that women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) have higher risk of kidney damage from cadmium compared to women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Methods: All 64-year-old women in Gothenburg, Sweden, were invited to a screening examination including repeated oral glucose tolerance tests. Random samples of women with DM, IGT, and NGT were recruited for further clinical examinations. Serum creatinine was measured and used to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Albumin (Alb) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were analyzed in a 12 h urine sample. Cadmium in blood (B-Cd) and urine (U-Cd) was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Associations between markers of kidney function (eGFR, Alb, and RBP) and quartiles of B-Cd and U-Cd were evaluated in models, including also blood pressure and smoking habits. Results: The mean B-Cd (n=590) was 0.53 µg/L (median 0.34 µg/L). In multivariable models, a significant interaction was seen between high B-Cd (upper quartile, >0.56 µg/L) and DM (point estimate +0.40 mg Alb/12 h, P=0.04). In stratified analyzes, the effect of high B-Cd on Alb excretion was significant in women with DM (53% higher Alb/12 h, P=0.03), but not in women with IGT or NGT. Models with urinary albumin adjusted for creatinine showed similar results. In women with DM, the multivariable odds ratio (OR) for microalbuminuria (>15 mg/12 h) was increased in the highest quartile of B-Cd vs. B-Cd quartiles 1–3 in women with DM (OR 4.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1–12). No such effect was found in women with IGT or NGT. There were no associations between B-Cd and eGFR or excretion of RBP, and no differences between women with DM, IGT, or NGT regarding effect of B-Cd on eGFR or RBP. Conclusion: The present study provides support for the hypothesis that women with DM have higher risk of renal glomerular damage from cadmium exposure compared to women without DM. - Highlights: • Cadmium in blood, kidney function, and glucose tolerance was examined in 590 women. • Blood cadmium was associated with albumin excretion in women with type 2 diabetes. • No such associations with cadmium were found in women without diabetes. • Women with type 2 diabetes have increased sensitivity to kidney damage from cadmium.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1983

Iron and magnesium in the white dwarf GD 40 - A test of diffusion theory

An outstanding problem in interpreting the properties of white-dwarf stars is related to the understanding of the chemical abundances in their atmospheres. The hydrogen-rich white-dwarf stars have monoelemental atmospheres, with small quantities of helium and no heavier elements observed in most, possibly all, stars with visible H lines. The helium-rich stars are more complex, and the existence of metallic lines in many of their spectra is now well confirmed. The DB star GD 40 (Gr 384) is the hottest He-rich white-dwarf star to show metal lines, apart from the extremely hot objects, such as HZ 21 and HD 149499B. The present investigation is concerned with IUE spectra which have been obtained of the GD 40. It is found that the near-UV is marked by strong Mg II lines along with broad blends of Fe II lines. An analysis is conducted of the abundances of Fe and Mg at the surface of GD 40 using a limited spectrum-synthesis technique with the measured equivalent widths of the best Fe II features.

Shipman, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Interstellar magnesium abundances

An improved evaluation of the Mg II 1240 A doublet oscillator strength is used in conjunction with recently published Copernicus observations to derive accurate Mg II column densities toward 74 stars. These imply an average of 40 percent of interstellar magnesium is in the gaseous phase. Magnesium depletion is examined as a function of various interstellar extinction and density parameters, and the results are briefly discussed in terms of current depletion theories.

Murray, M. J.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Mg-Enriched Engineered Carbon from Lithium-Ion Battery Anode for Phosphate Removal

Three Mg-enriched engineered carbons (mesocarbon microbeads, MCMB) were produced from lithium-ion battery anode using concentrated nitric acid oxidization and magnesium nitrate pretreatment. The obtained 15%Mg-MCMB, 30%Mg-MCMB, and 40%Mg-MCMB have magnesium level of 10.19, 19.13, and 19.96%, respectively. FTIR spectrum shows the functional groups present on the oxidized MCMB including OH, C=O, C–H, and C–O. XRD, SEM-EDX, and XPS analyses show that nanoscale Mg(OH) 2 and MgO particles were presented on the surface of the Mg-MCMB samples, which could serve as the main adsorption mechanism as to precipitate phosphate from aqueous solutions. The sorption experiments indicate that Mg modification dramatically promotes MCMB’s phosphate removal ability and phosphate removal rates reach as high as 95%. Thus, modification of the spent LIBs anode could provide a novel direction of preparing wastewater adsorbent and develop an innovative way to achieve sustainable development.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Analytical continuation from bound to resonant states in the Dirac equation with quadrupole-deformed potentials

Here, resonances with pronounced single-particle characteristics are crucial for quantitative descriptions of exotic nuclei near and beyond the drip lines, and often impact halo formation and nucleon decay processes. Since the majority of nuclei are deformed, the interplay between deformation and orbital structure near threshold can lead to improved descriptions of exotic nuclei. Develop a method to study single-particle resonant orbital structure in the Dirac equation with a quadrupole-deformed Woods-Saxon potential. Determine the structure evolution of bound and resonant levels with deformation in this scheme, and examine the impact on halo formation in loosely bound systems, with a focus on the recent halo candidate nucleus 37 Mg. Analytical continuation of the coupling constant (ACCC) method is developed on the basis of the Dirac equation with a deformed Woods-Saxon potential. The scalar and vector terms in the deformed potential are determined by the energies of the valence neutron and nearby orbitals, which are extracted from a self-consistent relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov (RHB) calculation with the PC-PK1 density functional. As a result, we compare the energies and widths of resonant orbitals in the recent halo nucleus candidate 37 Mg using the ACCC method based on the Dirac coupled-channel equations with those determined from the scattering phase shift (SPS) method. It is found that the results from the two methods agree well for narrow resonances, whereas the SPS method fails for broad resonances. Nilsson levels for bound and resonant orbitals from the ACCC method are calculated over a wide range of deformations and show some decisive hints of halo formation in 37 Mg. In conclusion, in our ACCC model for deformed potentials in the coupled-channel Dirac equations, the crossing of the configuration 1/2[321] and 5/2[312] orbitals at a deformation of approximately 0.5 enhances the probability to occupy the 1/2[321] orbital coming from 2 p3/2 thereby explaining the recent observation of a p-wave one-neutron halo configuration in 37 Mg. The resonant 1/2[301] configuration plays a crucial role in halo formation in the magnesium isotopes beyond A = 40 for a wide range of deformations larger than 0.2.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Permanent magnet with MgB{sub 2} bulk superconductor

Superconductors with persistent zero-resistance currents serve as permanent magnets for high-field applications requiring a strong and stable magnetic field, such as magnetic resonance imaging. The recent global helium shortage has quickened research into high-temperature superconductors (HTSs)—materials that can be used without conventional liquid-helium cooling to 4.2 K. Herein, we demonstrate that 40-K-class metallic HTS magnesium diboride (MgB{sub 2}) makes an excellent permanent bulk magnet, maintaining 3 T at 20 K for 1 week with an extremely high stability (<0.1 ppm/h). The magnetic field trapped in this magnet is uniformly distributed, as for single-crystalline neodymium-iron-boron. Magnetic hysteresis loop of the MgB{sub 2} permanent bulk magnet was determined. Because MgB{sub 2} is a simple-binary-line compound that does not contain rare-earth metals, polycrystalline bulk material can be industrially fabricated at low cost and with high yield to serve as strong magnets that are compatible with conventional compact cryocoolers, making MgB{sub 2} bulks promising for the next generation of Tesla-class permanent-magnet applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2026

A dual membrane-adsorption evaporator for solar-powered lithium extraction from complex brines

A reliable supply of lithium is required to meet the increased demand for batteries over the coming decades. In this work, we demonstrated the potential to effectively extract lithium from brines by coupling solar-powered evaporation, adsorption, and membrane technologies together. We first synthesized a three-dimensional adsorptive evaporator by coating a lithium manganese oxide material onto a cotton stick using an easily scalable, one-step method. An osmotic membrane was then installed at the root of the evaporator to enhance the lithium to magnesium selectivity, prevent scaling caused by divalent cations, and thus further increase the water evaporation flux. The operation of the dual membrane-adsorption evaporator is entirely driven by osmosis and capillary force, demanding no extra energy input. The integration of the osmotic membrane was found to increase the lithium to magnesium selectivity over 10-fold to higher than 40. The dual process also produced high lithium to calcium selectivity and proved to sustain long-term stability by self-managing its internal osmotic pressure. Last, a test was done in three simulated brine solutions with varied brine chemistry and the evaporation rate stayed high and consistent throughout the long-term test. This illustrates that this technology can be used in varied brine solutions throughout the world providing efficient lithium capture and separation from competing divalent cations.

Eskafi, Aydin F. [University of California, Berkel↗
NASA NTRS1975

Effect of magnesium oxide content on oxidation behavior of some superalloy-base cermets

The effect of increasing magnesium oxide (MgO) content on the cyclic oxidation resistance of hot-pressed cermets of MgO in NiCrAlY, MgO in Hoskins-875, MgO in Inconel-702, and MgO in Hastelloy-X was investigated. The cermets with magnesium oxide levels of 5, 10, 20, and 40 vol percent were examined. The cyclic oxidation behavior of these cermets at 1100 and 1200 C in still air was determined by a thermogravimetric method supplemented by X-ray diffraction analysis and light and electron microscopy. In all instances, MgO prevented grain growth in the metallic phase. No evidence of oxidation along interphase boundaries was detected. Cermets of MgO in NiCrAlY and MgO in Hoskins-875 were superior to cermets of MgO in Inconel-702 and MgO in Hastelloy-X. Their oxidation resistance was degraded only when the MgO content was 40 vol percent. The oxidation behavior of MgO-in-Inconel-702 powder cermets containing 5- and 10-vol percent MgO was approximately similar to that of pure Inconel-702 compacts. The 20- and 40-vol percent MgO content reduced the oxidation resistance of MgO-in-Inconel-702 powder cermets relative to that of pure Inconel-702.

Zaplatynsky, I.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The evaporation path of seawater and the coprecipitation of Br- and K+ with halite

Brines and salt were sampled at the Morton Bahamas solar salt production facility on Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas. The brines were analyzed by ion chromatography to define more precisely than heretofore the evaporation path of seawater to the end of the halite facies. At Inagua, calcium carbonate begins to precipitate at a brine concentration factor of 1.8 times that of seawater. Gypsum begins to precipitate at a brine concentration of 3.8 times seawater, and halite at a concentration factor of 10.6. Three of the most concentrated brines from Inagua (40 times seawater) were evaporated further in the laboratory. Magnesium sulfate first precipitated at brine concentrations about 70 times those of seawater, and potassium-bearing phases began to precipitate for these brines at concentrations greater than 90 times those of seawater. The distribution of coefficients of Br- and K+ between brines and halite were determined by combining analytical data for the Inagua brines with measurements of the Br- and K+ content of halites from Inagua and of halite which had precipitated from Inagua brines during storage. The observed average value of DBr- is 0.032, in good agreement with some of the previous measurements. The measured values of DK+ are highly variable (0.001 to 0.021); DK+ for halite precipitated early in the halite facies is in the vicinity of 0.015.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS1974

Strongly differentiated material in high-inclination and retrograde orbits

Two definitive spectra of strongly differentiated meteors are discussed. The meteors entered the earth's atmosphere at velocities greater than 40 km/sec from high-inclination and retrograde orbits. Both were magnesium-calcium particles, and their spectra show them to be highly deficient in iron and sodium. The moon and the asteroids have been discussed as sources of such calcium-rich achondrites, but these sources give low or intermediate geocentric velocities. Long-period comets and meteoroids of probable cometary origin are the only objects now known to have orbits similar to the orbits of these two meteors.

Harvey, G. A.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Long-duration superluminous supernovae at late times

Nebular-phase observations and spectral models of Type Ic superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) are presented. LSQ14an and SN 2015bn both display late-time spectra similar to galaxy-subtracted spectra of SN 2007bi, and the class shows strong similarity with broad-lined SNe Ic such as SN 1998bw. Near-infrared observations of SN 2015bn show a strong Ca ii triplet, O i 9263, O i 1.13 μm, and Mg i 1.50 μm, but no distinct He, Si, or S emission. The high Ca ii NIR/[Ca ii] 7291, 7323 ratio of ∼2 indicates a high electron density of n{sub e}≳10{sup 8} cm{sup −3}. Spectral models of oxygen-zone emission are investigated to put constraints on the emitting region. Models require M(O-zone)≳10 M{sub ⊙} to produce enough [O i] 6300, 6364 luminosity, irrespective of the powering situation and the density. The high oxygen-zone mass, supported by high estimated magnesium masses, points to explosions of massive CO cores, requiring M{sub ZAMS}≳40 M{sub ⊙}. Collisions of pair-instability pulsations do not provide enough mass to account for the emission. [O ii] and [O iii] lines emerge naturally in many models, which strengthens the identification of broad [O ii] 7320, 7330, [O iii] 4363, and [O iii] 4959, 5007 in some spectra. A small filling factor f≲0.01 for the O/Mg zone is needed to produce enough luminosity in Mg i] 4571, Mg i 1.504 μm, and O i recombination lines, which shows that the ejecta is clumped. We review the constraints from the nebular spectral modeling in the context of the various scenarios proposed for SLSNe.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2021

First Observations from the SPICE EUV Spectrometer on Solar Orbiter

Aims. We present first science observations taken during the commissioning activities of the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument on the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. SPICE is a high-resolution imaging spectrometer operating at extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths. In this paper we illustrate the possible types of observations to give prospective users a better understanding of the science capabilities of SPICE. Methods. We have reviewed the data obtained by SPICE between April and June 2020 and selected representative results obtained with different slits and a range of exposure times between 5 s and 180 s. Standard instrumental corrections have been applied to the raw data. Results. The paper discusses the first observations of the Sun on different targets and presents an example of the full spectra from the quiet Sun, identifying over 40 spectral lines from neutral hydrogen and ions of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, neon, sulphur, magnesium, and iron. These lines cover the temperature range between 20,000 K and 1 million K (10MK in flares), providing slices of the Sun’s atmosphere in narrow temperature intervals. We provide a list of count rates for the 23 brightest spectral lines. We show examples of raster images of the quiet Sun in several strong transition region lines, where we have found unusually bright, compact structures in the quiet Sun network, with extreme intensities up to 25 times greater than the average intensity across the image. The lifetimes of these structures can exceed 2.5 hours. We identify them as a transition region signature of coronal bright points and compare their areas and intensity enhancements. We also show the first above-limb measurements with SPICE above the polar limb in C III,O VI, and Ne VIII lines, and far off limb measurements in the equatorial plane in Mg IX, Ne VIII, and O VI lines. We discuss the potential to use abundance diagnostics methods to study the variability of the elemental composition that can be compared with in situ measurements to help confirm the magnetic connection between the spacecraft location and the Sun’s surface, and locate the sources of the solar wind. Conclusions. The SPICE instrument successfully performs measurements of EUV spectra and raster images that will make vital contributions to the scientific success of the Solar Orbiter mission

Sun: UV radiation↗