Energy resolution studies of liquid argon ionization detectors

A gridded ionization chamber was used to study the energy resolution in liquid argon with electrons from a 207Bi radioactive source. Argon was purified in the gas phase with a simple and reliable system, capable of reducing the impurity level below 1 ppb O2 equivalent, as inferred by a pulse shape analysis of the ionization signals. The electron spectrum was measured at different drift fields, up to 10.9 kV/cm. At this maximum field, a total energy resolution of 32 keV (fwhm), corresponding to a noise-subtracted energy resolution of 26 keV (fwhm), was obtained for the 976 keV conversion electron line. This value is the best reported so far in liquid argon but is still a factor of seven worse than the theoretical limit set by the Fano factor. The reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.