Simultaneous operation of a test apparatus filled with liquid argon as bubble chamber, calorimeter and scintillation detector: Outlook and possible applications

Physics motivations for the use of argon as a new bubble chamber liquid are discussed. Results, obtained from a 2.7 1 argon detector in SPS and SC beams at CERN, comprise its track sensitivity to ionizing particles and to a laser beam in the bubble chamber mode, its use as a calorimeter through the collection of free charges in an electric field and the recording of the scintillation light produced by ionizing particles. Various interference phenomena during the simultaneous use of the hybrid properties, as well as purity requirements on the liquid are discussed. Furthermore, nitrogen and argon/nitrogen mixtures were investigated. Applications of our technique for neutrino experiments at TeV accelerators and as vertex detectors are briefly outlined. In-line holography, successfully tested in BEBC, could simplify the optical track recording and improve the resolution in very large detectors.