ChAKRA : The high resolution charged particle detector array at VECC

Abstract A large 4 π 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 ∼ 10-60 MeV/A. The forward part ( θ ∼ ± 7 0 - ± 4 5 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 ( Δ E) + double sided silicon strip (E/ Δ 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 ≤ 2) emitted in the angular range of θ ∼ ± 4 5 0 - ± 17 5 0 . The extreme forward part of the array ( θ ∼ ± 3 0 - ± 7 0 ) is made up of 32 slow-fast plastic phoswich detectors that are capable of detecting light (Z ≤ 2) and heavy charged particles (3 ≤ Z ≲ 20) as well as handling high count rates. The design, construction, and characterization of the array have been described.