ChAKRA : The high resolution charged particle detector array at VECC

A large 4$\pi$ array of charged particle detectors has been developed at Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre to facilitate high resolution charged particle reaction and spectroscopy studies by detecting event-by-event the charged reaction products emitted in heavy ion reactions at energy $\sim$ 10-60 MeV/A. The forward part ($\theta \sim \pm $ $7^{0}$ - $\pm 45^{0}$) of the array consists of 24 highly granular, high resolution charged particle telescopes, each of which is made by three layers [single sided silicon strip($\Delta$E) + double sided silicon strip (E/$\Delta$E) + CsI(Tl)(E)]of detectors. The backward part of the array consists of 112 CsI(Tl) detectors which are capable of detecting primarily the light charged particles (Z $\le$ 2) emitted in the angular range of $\theta \sim \pm $ $45^{0}$ - $\pm 175^{0}$. The extreme forward part of the array ($\theta \sim \pm $ $3^{0}$ - $\pm 7^{0}$) is made up of 32 slow-fast plastic phoswich detectors that are capable of detecting light (Z $\le$2) and heavy charged particles (3 $\le$ Z $\lesssim$ 20) as well as handling high count rates. The design, construction and characterization of the array has been described.