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Author (up) Pütz, P.; Honingh, C. E.; Jacobs, K.; Justen, M.; Schultz, M.; Stutzki, J. openurl 
  Title Terahertz hot electron bolometer waveguide mixers for GREAT Type Journal Article
  Year 2012 Publication Astron. Astrophys. Abbreviated Journal A&A  
  Volume 542 Issue Pages L2  
  Keywords HEB mixer, applications  
  Abstract Context. Supplementing the publications based on the first-light observations with the German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz frequencies (GREAT) on SOFIA, we present background information on the underlying heterodyne detector technology. This Letter complements the GREAT instrument Letter and focuses on the mixers itself.

Aims. We describe the superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) detectors that are used as frequency mixers in the L1 (1400 GHz), L2 (1900 GHz), and M (2500 GHz) channels of GREAT. Measured performance of the detectors is presented and background information on their operation in GREAT is given.

Methods. Our mixer units are waveguide-based and couple to free-space radiation via a feedhorn antenna. The HEB mixers are designed, fabricated, characterized, and flight-qualified in-house. We are able to use the full intermediate frequency bandwidth of the mixers using silicon-germanium multi-octave cryogenic low-noise amplifiers with very low input return loss.

Results. Superconducting HEB mixers have proven to be practical and sensitive detectors for high-resolution THz frequency spectroscopy on SOFIA. We show that our niobium-titanium-nitride (NbTiN) material HEBs on silicon nitride (SiN) membrane substrates have an intermediate frequency (IF) noise roll-off frequency above 2.8 GHz, which does not limit the current receiver IF bandwidth. Our mixer technology development efforts culminate in the first successful operation of a waveguide-based HEB mixer at 2.5 THz and deployment for radioastronomy. A significant contribution to the success of GREAT is made by technological development, thorough characterization and performance optimization of the mixer and its IF interface for receiver operation on SOFIA. In particular, the development of an optimized mixer IF interface contributes to the low passband ripple and excellent stability, which GREAT demonstrated during its initial successful astronomical observation runs.
 
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 907  
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Author (up) Rabanus, D.; Graf, U. U.; Philipp, M.; Ricken, O.; Stutzki, J.; Vowinkel, B.; Wiedner, M. C.; Walther, C.; Fischer, M.; Faist, J. openurl 
  Title Phase locking of a 1.5 terahertz quantum cascade laser and use as a local oscillator in a heterodyne HEB receiver Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication Optics Express Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 17 Issue 3 Pages 1159-1168  
  Keywords QCL heterodyne, 300 uW at 1.5 THz, HEB mixer  
  Abstract We demonstrate for the first time the closure of an electronic phase lock loop for a continuous–wave quantum cascade laser (QCL) at 1.5 THz. The QCL is operated in a closed cycle cryo cooler. We achieved a frequency stability of better than 100 Hz, limited by the resolution bandwidth of the spectrum analyser. The PLL electronics make use of the intermediate frequency (IF) obtained from a hot electron bolometer (HEB) which is downconverted to a PLL IF of 125 MHz. The coarse selection of the longitudinal mode and the fine tuning is achieved via the bias voltage of the QCL. Within a QCL cavity mode, the free-running QCL shows frequency fluctuations of about 5 MHz, which the PLL circuit is able to control via the Stark–shift of the QCL gain material. Temperature dependent tuning is shown to be nonlinear, and of the order of -16 MHz/K. Additionally we have used the QCL as local oscillator (LO) to pump an HEB and perform, again for the first time at 1.5 THz, a heterodyne experiment, and obtain a receiver noise temperature of 1741 K.  
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  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 628  
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Author (up) Rasulova, G. K.; Pentin, I. V.; Goltsman, G. N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Terahertz emission from a weakly-coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice biased into three different modes of current self-oscillations Type Journal Article
  Year 2019 Publication AIP Advances Abbreviated Journal AIP Advances  
  Volume 9 Issue 10 Pages 105220  
  Keywords GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice, SL, NbN HEB  
  Abstract Radio-frequency modulated terahertz (THz) emission power from weakly-coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice (SL) has been increased by parallel connection of several SL mesas. Each SL mesa is a self-oscillator with its own oscillation frequency and mode. In coupled non-identical SL mesas biased at different voltages within the hysteresis loop the chaotic, quasiperiodic and frequency-locked modes of self-oscillations of current arise. THz emission was detected when three connected in parallel SL mesas were biased into the frequency-locked and quasiperiodic modes of self-oscillations of current, while in the chaotic mode of those it falls to the noise level.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2158-3226 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1274  
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Author (up) Rasulova, G. K.; Pentin, I. V.; Vakhtomin, Y. B.; Smirnov, K. V.; Khabibullin, R. A.; Klimov, E. A.; Klochkov, A. N.; Goltsman, G. N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Pulsed terahertz radiation from a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode biased into self-oscillation regime Type Journal Article
  Year 2020 Publication J. Appl. Phys. Abbreviated Journal J. Appl. Phys.  
  Volume 128 Issue 22 Pages 224303 (1 to 11)  
  Keywords HEB, resonant tunneling diode, RTD  
  Abstract The study of the bolometer response to terahertz (THz) radiation from a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) biased into the negative differential conductivity region of the I–V characteristic revealed that the RTD emits two pulses in a period of intrinsic self-oscillations of current. The bolometer pulse repetition rate is a multiple of the fundamental frequency of the intrinsic self-oscillations of current. The bolometer pulses are detected at two critical points with a distance between them being half or one-third of a period of the current self-oscillations. An analysis of the current self-oscillations and the bolometer response has shown that the THz photon emission is excited when the tunneling electrons are trapped in (the first pulse) and then released from (the second pulse) miniband states.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-8979 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1262  
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Author (up) Ren, Y.; Zhang, D. X.; Zhou, K. M.; Miao, W.; Zhang, W.; Shi, S. C.; Seleznev, V.; Pentin, I.; Vakhtomin, Y.; Smirnov, K. url  doi
openurl 
  Title 10.6 μm heterodyne receiver based on a superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer and a quantum cascade laser Type Journal Article
  Year 2019 Publication AIP Advances Abbreviated Journal AIP Advances  
  Volume 9 Issue 7 Pages 075307  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers, QCL, IR  
  Abstract We report on the development of a heterodyne receiver at mid-infrared wavelength for high-resolution spectroscopy applications. The receiver employs a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer as a mixer and a room temperature distributed feedback quantum cascade laser operating at 10.6 μm (28.2 THz) as a local oscillator. The stabilization of the heterodyne receiver has been achieved using a feedback loop controlling the output power of the laser. Improved Allan variance times as well as a double sideband receiver noise temperature of 5000 K and a noise bandwidth of 2.8 GHz of the receiver system are demonstrated.

The work is supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China under Grant 2018YFA0404701, by the CAS program under Grant QYZDJ-SSW-SLH043 and GJJSTD20180003, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant 11773083, by the “Hundred Talents Program” of the “Pioneer Initiative”, and in part by the CAS Key Lab for Radio Astronomy.
 
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2158-3226 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1293  
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Author (up) Richter, H.; Semenov, A.; Hubers, H.-W.; Smirnov, K.; Gol’tsman, G.; Voronov, B. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Phonon cooled hot-electron bolometric mixer for 1-5 THz Type Conference Article
  Year 2004 Publication Proc. 29th IRMMW / 12th THz Abbreviated Journal Proc. 29th IRMMW / 12th THz  
  Volume Issue Pages 241-242  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers  
  Abstract Heterodyne receivers for applications in astronomy and planetary research need quantum limited sensitivity. In instruments which are currently built for SOFIA and Herschel, superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEB) are used to achieve this goal at frequencies above 1.4 THz. In order to optimize the performance for this frequency of hot electron bolometer mixers with different in-plane dimensions and logarithmic-spiral feed antennas have been investigated. Their noise temperatures and beam patterns were measured. Above 3 THz the best performance was achieved with a superconducting bridge of 2.0/spl times/0.2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ incorporated in a logarithmic spiral antenna. The DSB noise temperatures were 2700 K, 4700 and 6400 K at 3.1 THz, 4.3 THz and 5.2 THz, respectively. The results demonstrate that the NbN HEB is very well suited as a mixer for THz heterodyne receivers up to at least 5 THz.  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
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  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1506  
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Author (up) Risacher, C.; Meledin, D.; Belitsky, V.; Bergman, P. openurl 
  Title First 1.3 THz observations at the APEX telescope Type Conference Article
  Year 2009 Publication Proc. 20th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 54-61  
  Keywords balanced HEB mixer noise temperature APEX telescope stability Allan variance aperture efficiency  
  Abstract The Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) 12m telescope is operating on the Llano Chajnantor, Chile, since 2003 and a set of state of the art sub-millimeter receivers have been installed for frequencies spanning from 150 GHz to 1500 GHz. In 2008, a balanced 1.3 THz Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) receiver was installed for the atmospheric window 1250-1380 GHz. This instrument is part of a 4-channel receiver cryostat with the other channels being 211-275 GHz, 275-370 GHz and 380-500 GHz Sideband Separating (SSB) SIS receivers. This paper presents the first observations obtained so far with the 1.3 THz band during its first months of operation. The sky measurements were taken during opportunistic commissioning and science verification phases, when the weather conditions were sufficiently good with a Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) below 0.25 mm, which was the case only a few nights during these months. We present the first observations of the molecular transition CO J=(11-10) line on different sources such as Orion-FIR4, CW-Leo and SgrB2(M). We describe the many challenges and difficulties encountered for achieving successful THz observations from a large sub-millimeter ground-based telescope.  
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  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 619  
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Author (up) Rönnung, F.; Cherednichenko, S.; Winkler, D.; Gol'tsman, G. N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title A nanoscale YBCO mixer optically coupled with a bow tie antenna Type Journal Article
  Year 1999 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.  
  Volume 12 Issue 11 Pages 853-855  
  Keywords YBCO HTS HEB mixers  
  Abstract The bolometric response of YBa2Cu3O7-δ(YBCO) hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) to near-infrared radiation was studied. Devices were fabricated from a 50 nm thick film and had in-plane areas of 10 × 10 µm2, 2 × 0.2 µm2, 1 × 0.2µm2 and 0.5 × 0.2 µm2. We found that nonequilibrium phonons cool down more effectively for the bolometers with smaller area. For the smallest bolometer the bolometric component in the response is 10 dB less than for the largest one.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0953-2048 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1563  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, S. A.; Tretyakov, I. V.; Finkel, M. I.; Maslennikov, S. N.; Kaurova, N. S.; Seleznev, V. A.; Voronov, B. M.; Goltsman, G. N. url  openurl
  Title Fabrication and characterisation of NbN HEB mixers with in situ gold contacts Type Conference Article
  Year 2008 Publication Proc. 19th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 19th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.  
  Volume Issue Pages 62-67  
  Keywords HEB, mixer, NbN, in-situ contacts  
  Abstract We present our recent results of the fabrication and testing of NbN hot-electron bolometer mixers with in situ gold contacts. An intermediate frequency bandwidth of about 6 GHz has been measured for the mixers made of a 3.5-nm NbN film on a plane Si substrate with in situ gold contacts, compared to 3.5 GHz for devices made of the same film with ex situ gold contacts. The increase in the intermediate frequency bandwidth is attributed to additional diffusion cooling through the improved contacts, which is further supported by the its dependence on the bridge length: intermediate frequency bandwidths of 3.5 GHz and 6 GHz have been measured for devices with lengths of 0.35 μm and 0.16 μm respectively at a local oscillator frequency of 300 GHz near the superconducting transition. At a local oscillator frequency of 2.5 THz the receiver has offered a DSB noise temperature of 950 K. When compared to the previous result of 1300 K obtained at the same local oscillator frequency for devices fabricated with an ex situ route, such a low value of the noise temperature may also be attributed to the improved gold contacts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Groningen, Netherlands Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 412  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, S. A.; Tretyakov, I. V.; Finkel, M. I.; Maslennikov, S. N.; Kaurova, N. S.; Seleznev, V. A.; Voronov, B. M.; Gol'tsman, G. N. url  openurl
  Title NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer with additional diffusion cooling Type Conference Article
  Year 2009 Publication Proc. 20th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 20th ISSTT  
  Volume Issue Pages 151-154  
  Keywords HEB, mixer, bandwidth, noise temperatue, in-situ contacts, in situ contacts  
  Abstract  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Charlottesville, USA Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 590  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, S. A.; Tretyakov, I. V.; Pentin, I. V.; Kaurova, N. S.; Seleznev, V. A.; Voronov, B. M.; Finkel, M. I.; Maslennikov, S. N.; Gol'tsman, G. N. doi  openurl
  Title Low-noise wide-band hot-electron bolometer mixer based on an NbN film Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication Radiophys. Quant. Electron. Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 52 Issue 8 Pages 576-582  
  Keywords HEB mixer, in-situ contacts, noise temperature, conversion gain bandwidth, diffusion cooling channel  
  Abstract We develop and study a hot-electron bolometer mixer made of a two-layer NbN–Au film in situ deposited on a silicon substrate. The double-sideband noise temperature of the mixer is 750 K at a frequency of 2.5 THz. The conversion efficiency measurements show that at the superconducting transition temperature, the intermediate-frequency bandwidth amounts to about 6.5 GHz for a mixer 0.112 μm long. These record-breaking characteristics are attributed to the improved contacts between a sensitive element and a helical antenna and are reached due to using the in situ deposition of NbN and Au layers at certain stages of the process.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 599  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, S.; Tong, C.-Y. E.; Blundell, R.; Kimberk, R.; Gol'tsman, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Study of the effect of microwave radiation on the operation of HEB mixers in the terahertz frequency range Type Journal Article
  Year 2007 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.  
  Volume 17 Issue 2 Pages 391-394  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers  
  Abstract We have investigated the effect of injecting microwave radiation, with a frequency much lower than that corresponding to the energy gap of the superconductor, on the performance of the hot-electron bolometer mixer incorporated into a THz heterodyne receiver. More specifically, we show that exposing the mixer to microwave radiation does not cause a significant rise of the receiver noise temperature and fall of the mixer conversion gain so long as the microwave power is a small fraction of local oscillator power. The injection of a small, but controlled amount of microwave power therefore enables active compensation of local oscillator power and coupling fluctuations which can significantly degrade the gain stability of hot electron bolometer mixer receivers.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1427  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, S.; Tong, C.-yu E.; Blundell, R.; Kimberk, R.; Gol’tsman, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Effect of microwave radiation on the stability of terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixers Type Conference Article
  Year 2006 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE  
  Volume 6373 Issue Pages 63730J (1 to 5)  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers, hot-electron bolometer mixers, stability, Allan variance, LO power fluctuations  
  Abstract We report our studies of the effect of microwave radiation, with a frequency much lower than that corresponding to the energy gap of the superconductor, on the performance of the NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer incorporated into a THz heterodyne receiver. It is shown that exposing the HEB mixer to microwave radiation does not result in a significant rise of the receiver noise temperature and degradation of the mixer conversion gain so long as the level of microwave power is small compared to the local oscillator drive. Hence the injection of a small, but controlled amount of microwave radiation enables active compensation of local oscillator power and coupling fluctuations which can significantly degrade the stability of HEB mixer receivers.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher SPIE Place of Publication Editor Anwar, M.; DeMaria, A.J.; Shur, M.S.  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1441  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, Sergey; Tong, Cheuk-Yu Edward; Blundell, Raymond; Gol'tsman, Gregory url  doi
openurl 
  Title Stabilization scheme for hot-electron bolometer receivers using microwave radiation Type Journal Article
  Year 2009 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.  
  Volume 19 Issue 1 Pages 14-19  
  Keywords HEB, mixer, Allan variance, stabilization, radiometer equation  
  Abstract We present the results of a stabilization scheme for terahertz receivers based on NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers that uses microwave radiation with a frequency much lower than the gap frequency of NbN to compensate for mixer current fluctuations. A feedback control loop, which actively controls the power level of the injected microwave radiation, has successfully been implemented to stabilize the operating point of the HEB mixer. This allows us to increase the receiver Allan time to 10 s and also improve the temperature resolution of the receiver by about 30% in the total power mode of operation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number RPLAB @ lobanovyury @ Serial 559  
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Author (up) Ryabchun, Sergey; Tong, Cheuk-yu Edward; Blundell, Raymond; Kimberk, Robert; Gol’tsman, Gregory url  openurl
  Title Stabilisation of a terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixer with microwave feedback control Type Conference Article
  Year 2007 Publication Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.  
  Volume Issue Pages 193-198  
  Keywords waveguide NbN HEB mixers, Allan variance, stability  
  Abstract We report on implementation of microwave feedback control loop to stabilise the performance of an HEB mixer receiver. It is shown that the receiver sensitivity increases by a factor of 4 over a 16-minute scan, and the corresponding Allan time increases up to 10 seconds, as opposed to an open loop value of 1 second. Our experiments also demonstrate that the receiver sensitivity is limited by the intermediate frequency chain.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1421  
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