A new numerical code, designed for the detailed numerical treatment of nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration, is used for modeling of particle acceleration and radiation in young supernova remnants. The model is based on spherically symmetric hydrodynamic equations complemented with transport equations for relativistic particles. For the first time, the acceleration of electrons and protons by both forward and reverse shocks is studied through detailed numerical calculations. We model the energy spectra and spatial distributions of nonthermal emission of the young supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 and compare the calculations with the spectral and morphological properties of this object obtained in broad energy band from radio to very high energy gamma-rays. We discuss the advantages and shortcomings of the so-called hadronic and leptonic models which assume that the observed TeV gamma-ray emission is produced by accelerated protons and electrons, respectively. We discuss also a "composite" scenario when the gamma-ray flux from the main parts of the shell has inverse Compton origin, but with a non-negligible contribution of hadronic origin from dense clouds interacting with the shell.
The properties of the - presumably - youngest Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) G1.9+0.3 are investigated within the framework of nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray acceleration in SNRs. The observed angular size and expansion speed as well as the radio and X-ray emission measurements are used to determine relevant physical parameters of this SNR. Under the assumption that SNR G1.9+0.3 is the result of a Type Ia supernova near the Galactic center (at the distance d=8.5 kpc) the nonthermal properties are calculated. In particular, the expected TeV gamma-ray spectral energy density is predict…
The middle-aged supernova remnant (SNR) W51C is an interesting source for the interaction of the shell with a molecular cloud. The shell emits intense radio synchrotron photons, and high-energy gamma-rays from the remnant have been detected using the {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope (LAT), the H.E.S.S. telescope, and the Milagro gamma-ray observatory. Based on a semi-analytical approach to the nonlinear shock acceleration process, we investigate the multiband nonthermal emission from W51C. The result shows that the radio emission from the remnant can be explained as synchrotron radiation of th…
The properties of the Galactic supernova remnant (SNR) SN 1006 are theoretically re-analyzed in the light of the recent H.E.S.S. results. Nonlinear kinetic theory is used to determine the momentum spectrum of cosmic rays (CRs) in space and time in the supernova remnant SN 1006. The physical parameters of the model - proton injection rate, electron-to-proton ratio and downstream magnetic field strength - are determined through a fit of the result to the observed spatially-integrated synchrotron emission properties. The only remaining unknown astronomical parameter, the circumstellar gas number …
We report on NuSTAR observations of the mixed morphology supernova remnant (SNR) W49B, focusing on its nonthermal emission. Whereas radio observations as well as recent gamma-ray observations evidenced particle acceleration in this SNR, nonthermal X-ray emission has not been reported so far. With the unprecedented sensitivity of NuSTAR in the hard X-ray band, we detect a significant power-law-like component extending up to $\sim 20~{\rm keV}$, most probably of nonthermal origin. The newly discovered component has a photon index of $Γ=1.4^{+1.0}_{-1.1}$ with an energy flux between 10 and 20 keV…
We present new Chandra ACIS-S3 observations of Cassiopeia A which, when combined with earlier ACIS-S3 observations, show evidence for a steady ~ 1.5-2%/yr decline in the 4.2-6.0 keV X-ray emission between the years 2000 and 2010. The computed flux from exposure corrected images over the entire remnant showed a 17% decline over the entire remnant and a slightly larger (21%) decline from regions along the remnant's western limb. Spectral fits of the 4.2-6.0 keV emission across the entire remnant, forward shock filaments, and interior filaments indicate the remnant's nonthermal spectral powerlaw …
A nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray (CR) acceleration in supernova remnants (SNRs) is employed to investigate the properties of SNR RX J1713.7-3946. Observations of the non-thermal radio and X-ray emission spectra as well as the H.E.S.S. measurements of the very high energy gamma-ray emission are used to constrain the astronomical and CR acceleration parameters of the system. It is argued that RX J1713.7-3946 is a core collapse supernova (SN) of type II/Ib with a massive progenitor, has an age of ~1600 yr and is at a distance of ~1 kpc. It is in addition assumed that the CR injection/acce…
Diffusive shock acceleration by the shockwaves in supernova remnants (SNRs) is widely accepted as the dominant source for Galactic cosmic rays. However, it is unknown what determines the maximum energy of accelerated particles. The surrounding environment could be one of the key parameters. The SNR RCW 86 shows both thermal and non-thermal X-ray emission with different spatial morphologies. These emission originate from the shock-heated plasma and accelerated electrons respectively, and their intensities reflect their density distributions. Thus, the remnant provides a suitable laboratory to t…
Analyzing Chandra data of Tycho's supernova remnant (SNR) taken in 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, and 2015, we search for time variable features of synchrotron X-rays in the southwestern part of the SNR, where stripe structures of hard X-ray emission were previous found. By comparing X-ray images obtained at each epoch, we discover a knot-like structure in the northernmost part of the stripe region became brighter particularly in 2015. We also find a bright filamentary structure gradually became fainter and narrower as it moved outward. Our spectral analysis reveal that not only the nonthermal X-ray …
We present calculations of expected continuum emissions from Sedov-Taylor phase Type Ia supernova remnants (SNRs), using the energy spectra of cosmic ray (CR) electrons and protons from nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) simulations. A new, general-purpose radiative process code, Cosmicp, was employed to calculate the radiation expected from CR electrons and protons and their secondary products. These radio, X-ray and gamma-ray emissions are generally consistent with current observations of Type Ia SNRs. The emissions from electrons in these models dominate the radio through X-ray ba…
The shocks of supernova remnants (SNRs) are believed to accelerate particles to cosmic ray (CR) energies. The amplification of the magnetic field due to CRs propagating in the shock region is expected to have an impact on both the emission from the accelerated particle population, as well as the acceleration process itself. Using a 95 ks observation with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) onboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we map and characterize the synchrotron emitting material in the northwestern region of RCW 86. We model spectra from several different regions, filamentary an…
Cutoff energy in a synchrotron radiation spectrum of a supernova remnant (SNR) contains a key parameter of ongoing particle acceleration. We systematically analyze 11 young SNRs, including all historical SNRs, to measure the cutoff energy, thus shedding light on the nature of particle acceleration at the early stage of SNR evolution. The nonthermal (synchrotron) dominated spectra in filament-like outer rims are selectively extracted and used for spectral fitting because our model assumes that accelerated electrons are concentrated in the vicinity of the shock front due to synchrotron cooling. …
Relations between radio surface brightness ($Σ$) and diameter ($D$) of supernova remnants (SNRs) are important in astronomy. In this paper, following the work Duric \& Seaquist (1986) at adiabatic phase, we carefully investigate shell-type supernova remnants at radiative phase, and obtain theoretical $Σ$-$D$ relation at radiative phase of shell-type supernova remnants at 1 GHz. By using these theoretical $Σ$-$D$ relations at adiabatic phase and radiative phase, we also roughly determine phases of some supernova remnant from observation data.
We evaluate the current status of supernova remnants as the sources of Galactic cosmic rays. We summarize observations of supernova remnants, covering the whole electromagnetic spectrum and describe what these obser- vations tell us about the acceleration processes by high Mach number shock fronts. We discuss the shock modification by cosmic rays, the shape and maximum energy of the cosmic-ray spectrum and the total energy budget of cosmic rays in and surrounding supernova remnants. Additionally, we discuss problems with supernova remnants as main sources of Galactic cosmic rays, as well as al…
Supernova remnants (SNRs) are the primary candidate of Galactic cosmic-ray accelerators. It is still an open issue when and how young SNRs, which typically exhibit strong synchrotron X-rays and GeV and TeV gamma-rays, undergo the state transition to middle-aged SNRs dominated by thermal X-rays and GeV gamma-rays. The SNR N132D in the Large Magellanic Cloud is an ideal target to study such a transition, exhibiting bright X-rays and gamma-rays, and with the expected age of ~2500 yrs. In this paper we present results of NuSTAR and Suzaku spectroscopy. We reveal that N132D has a nearly equilibrium…
A revised catalogue of 274 Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) is presented, along with some simple statistics of their parameters. It is shown that the remnants that have recently been identified are generally faint, as is expected from the selection effects that apply to the identification of remnants.
We review recent progress in elucidating the relationship between high-energy radiation and the interstellar medium (ISM) in young supernova remnants (SNRs) with ages of $\sim$2000 yr, focusing in particular on RX J1713.7$-$3946 and RCW 86. Both SNRs emit strong nonthermal X-rays and TeV $γ$-rays, and they contain clumpy distributions of interstellar gas that includes both atomic and molecular hydrogen. We find that shock-cloud interactions provide a viable explanation for the spatial correlation between the X-rays and ISM. In these interactions, the supernova shocks hit the typically pc-scale…
The supernova remnant (SNR) RX J0852-4622 (Vela Jr., G266.6-1.2) is one of the most important SNRs for investigating the acceleration of multi-TeV particles and the origin of Galactic cosmic rays because of its strong synchrotron X-ray and TeV gamma-ray emission, which show a shell-like morphology similar to each other. Using the XMM-Newton archival data consisting of multiple pointing observations of the northwestern rim of the remnant, we investigate the spatial properties of the nonthermal X-ray emission as a function of distance from an outer shock wave. All X-ray spectra are well reproduc…
NGC6946 is a high star formation rate face-on spiral galaxy that has hosted ten supernovae since 1917. Not surprisingly, a large number of supernova remnants and candidates have been identified either as optical nebulae with high [S II]:H$α$ line ratios (147) or as compact non-thermal radio sources (35). However, there are only seven overlaps between these two samples. Here, we apply [Fe II] 1.644 $μ$m emission as a new diagnostic to search for supernova remnants in an attempt to resolve this discrepancy. [Fe II] is expected to be relatively strong in the radiative shocks of supernova remnants…
The study of shell-type supernova remnants is a key science focus for the VERITAS TeV telescope array. Supernova remnants (SNRs) are widely considered to be the strongest candidate for the source of cosmic rays below the knee around 10^15 eV. This presentation will highlight new VERITAS results including new measurements of the spectra of Cas A and IC 443 and observations of the "Forbidden Velocity Wing" FVW 190.2+1.1. These results and their implications for the nature of the cosmic rays - hadronic or electronic - accelerated in the remnants will be discussed.
Molecular clouds are expected to emit non-thermal radiation due to cosmic ray interactions in the dense magnetized gas. Such emission is amplified if a cloud is located close to an accelerator of cosmic rays and if energetic particles can leave the accelerator site and diffusively reach the cloud. We consider here the situation in which a molecular cloud is located in the proximity of a supernova remnant which is efficiently accelerating cosmic rays and gradually releasing them in the interstellar medium. We calculate the multiwavelength spectrum from radio to gamma rays which is emerging from…
We present the analysis of an unpublished VLA archive observation made at 1.49 GHz in 1989 toward the supernova remnant G1.9+0.3, the youngest such Galactic object known. This observation agrees with the time evolution in angular size previously reported. We derive an expansion rate of 0.46 +- 0.11 % per year and an age of 220+45-70 yr for the remnant by comparing the 1985 and 1989 images.
The spectra of high-energy protons and nuclei accelerated by supernova remnant shocks are calculated taking into account magnetic field amplification and Alfvenic drift for different types of SNRs during their evolution. The overall energy spectrum and elemental composition of cosmic rays after propagation through the Galaxy are found.
Images of SN1006 have a number of important properties. For instance, the bright limbs coincide spatially in various bands, they have different brightness, and the contrast of brightness varies from radio to gamma-rays. The reasons of such properties and the role of the magnetic field strength are discussed. Simple, almost model-independent methods and analytical approximations for the derivation of the strength of magnetic field from the comparison of radio, X-rays and TeV images of SNR are presented. The methods require the TeV image to be well resolved and accurate, at least to the level of…
We explore nonlinear effects of wave-particle interactions on the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) process in Type Ia-like, SNR blast waves, by implementing phenomenological models for magnetic field amplification, Alfv'enic drift, and particle escape in time-dependent numerical simulations of nonlinear DSA. For typical SNR parameters the CR protons can be accelerated to PeV energies only if the region of amplified field ahead of the shock is extensive enough to contain the diffusion lengths of the particles of interest. Even with the help of Alfv'enic drift, it remains somewhat challenging …
The study of supernova remnants and pulsar wind nebulae was one of the Key Science Projects for the first two years of VERITAS observations. VERITAS is an array of four imaging Cherenkov telescopes located at the Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona. Supernova remnants are widely considered to be the strongest candidate for the source of cosmic rays below the knee at around 10^15 eV. Pulsar wind nebulae are synchrotron nebulae powered by the spin-down of energetic young pulsars, and comprise one of the most populous very-high-energy gamma-ray source classes. This poster will summarize the r…
The origin of cosmic rays holds still many mysteries hundred years after they were first discovered. Supernova remnants have for long been the most likely sources of Galactic cosmic rays. I discuss here some recent evidence that suggests that supernova remnants can indeed efficiently accelerate cosmic rays. For this conference devoted to the Astronomical Institute Utrecht I put the emphasis on work that was done in my group, but placed in a broader context: efficient cosmic-ray acceleration and the im- plications for cosmic-ray escape, synchrotron radiation and the evidence for magnetic- field…
A compact complex of line emission filaments in the galactic plane has the appearance of those expected of an evolved supernova remnant though non-thermal radio and X-ray emission have not yet been detected. This optical emission line region has now been observed with deep imagery and both low and high-dispersion spectroscopy. Diagnostic diagrams of the line intensities from the present spectra and the new kinematical observations both point to a supernova origin. However, several features of the nebular complex still require an explanation within this interpretation.
A revised catalogue of Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) is presented, along with some simple statistics of their properties. Six new SNRs have been added to the catalogue since the previous published version from 2014, and six entries have been removed, as they have been identified as HII regions, leaving the number of entries in the catalogue at 294. Some simple statistics of the remnants in the catalogue, and the selection effects that apply, are discussed, along with some recently proposed Galactic SNR candidates.
Synchrotron X-rays can be a useful tool to investigate electron acceleration at young supernova remnants (SNRs). At present, since the magnetic field configuration around the shocks of SNRs is uncertain, it is not clear whether electron acceleration is limited by SNR age, synchrotron cooling, or even escape from the acceleration region. We study whether the acceleration mechanism can be constrained by the cutoff shape of the electron spectrum around the maximum energy. We derive analytical formulae of the cutoff shape in each case where the maximum electron energy is determined by SNR age, syn…
The processes responsible for the broad-band radiation of the young supernova remnant Cas A are explored using a new code which is designed for a detailed treatment of the diffusive shock acceleration of particles in nonlinear regime. The model is based on spherically symmetric hydrodynamic equations complemented with transport equations for relativistic particles. Electrons, protons and the oxygen ions accelerated by forward and reverse shocks are included in the numerical calculations. We show that the available multi-wavelength observations in the radio, X-ray and gamma-ray bands can be bes…
We present moderately deep (125 ks) {\it XMM-Newton} observations of supernova remnant G330.2$+$1.0. This remnant is one of only a few known that fall into "synchrotron-dominated" category, with the emission almost entirely dominated by a nonthermal continuum. Previous X-ray observations could only characterize the spectra of a few regions. Here, we examine the spectra from fourteen regions surrounding the entire rim, finding that the spectral properties of the nonthermal emission do not vary significantly in any systematic way from one part of the forward shock to another, unlike several othe…
A simple formalism to describe nonthermal electron acceleration, evolution, and radiation in supernova remnants (SNRs) is presented. The electron continuity equation is analytically solved assuming that the nonthermal electron injection power is proportional to the rate at which the kinetic energy of matter swept up in an adiabatically expanding SNR shell. We apply this model to \fermi\ and HESS data from the SNR \rxj, and find that a one-zone leptonic model with Compton-scattered cosmic microwave background (CMB) and interstellar infrared photons has difficulty providing a good fit to its spe…
Context: Cosmic rays are thought to be accelerated at supernova remnant (SNR) shocks, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Aims: New data from ground-based gamma-ray telescopes and the Large Area Telescope on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope are used to test this hypothesis. A simple model for gamma-ray production efficiency is compared with measured gamma-ray luminosities of SNRs, and the GeV to TeV fluxes ratios of SNRs are examined for correlations with SNR ages. Methods: The supernova explosion is modeled as an expanding spherical shell of material that sweeps up matter from the surround…
We examine the evolution and emission of the supernova remnant (SNR) CTB109 using three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations. The SNR evolves in a medium divided by a plane interface into two media with different densities and pressure equilibrium. Our results reveal that a remnant with the characteristics of CTB109 is formed provided the supernova (SN) explosion takes place in the less dense medium and also if the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) is almost uniform. Finally, we conclude that the quasiparallel mechanism can explain the brightness synchrotron emission and the position …
The debate on the nature of the gamma-ray emission from young supernova remnants is still open. Ascribing such emission to hadronic rather than leptonic processes would provide an evidence for the acceleration of protons and nuclei, and this fact would fit with the very popular (but not proven) paradigm that supernova remnants are the sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Here, we discuss this issue with a particular focus on the best studied gamma-ray-bright supernova remnant: RX~J1713.7-3946.
Core-collapse supernova remnants are the gaseous nebulae of galactic interstellar media (ISM) formed after the explosive death of massive stars. Their morphology and emission properties depend both on the surrounding circumstellar structure shaped by the stellar wind-ISM interaction of the progenitor star and on the local conditions of the ambient medium. In the warm phase of the Galactic plane (n = 1/cm3, T = 8000 K), an organised magnetic field of strength 7 microG has profound consequences on the morphology of the wind bubble of massive stars at rest. In this paper we show through 2.5D magn…
Recent progress in numerical simulations of thermonuclear supernova explosions brings up a unique opportunity in studying the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae. Coupling state-of-the-art explosion models with detailed hydrodynamical simulations of the supernova remnant evolution and the most up-to-date atomic data for X-ray emission calculations makes it possible to create realistic synthetic X-ray spectra for the supernova remnant phase. Comparing such spectra with high quality observations of supernova remnants could allow to constrain the explosion mechanism and the progenitor of the supern…
We present numerical models for supernova remnant evolution, using a new version of the hydrodynamical code SUPREMNA. We added cosmic ray diffusion equation to the code scheme, employing two-fluid approximation. We investigate the dynamics of the simulated supernova remnants with different values of cosmic ray acceleration efficiency and diffusion coefficient. We compare the numerical models with observational data of Tycho's and SN1006 supernova remnants. We find models which reproduce the observed locations of the blast wave, contact discontinuity, and reverse shock for the both remnants, th…
Usual supernova remnants have either ionizing plasma or plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium, i.e., the ionization temperature is lower than or equal to the electron temperature. However, the existence of recombining supernova remnants, i.e., supernova remnants with the ionization temperature higher than the electron temperature, is recently confirmed. One suggested way to have recombining plasma in a supernova remnant is to have a dense circumstellar medium at the time of the supernova explosion. If the circumstellar medium is dense enough, collisional ionization equilibrium can be es…
We report the detection of GeV γ-ray emission from the supernova remnant Puppis A with the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Puppis A is among the faintest supernova remnants yet detected at GeV energies, with a luminosity of only 2.7x10^34 (D/2.2 kpc)^2 erg/s between 1 and 100 GeV. The γ-ray emission from the remnant is spatially extended, with a morphology matching that of the radio and X-ray emission, and is well described by a simple power law with an index of 2.1. We attempt to model the broadband spectral energy distribution, from radio to γ-rays, using standard nonthermal emission mechan…
We review the main observational and theoretical facts about acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays in supernova remnants, discussing the arguments in favor and against a connection between cosmic rays and supernova remnants, the so-called supernova remnant paradigm for the origin of Galactic cosmic rays. Recent developments in the modeling of the mechanism of diffusive shock acceleration are discussed, with emphasis on the role of 1) magnetic field amplification, 2) acceleration of nuclei heavier than hydrogen, 3) presence of neutrals in the circumstellar environment. The status of the supernov…
Supernova remnants are beautiful astronomical objects that are also of high scientific interest, because they provide insights into supernova explosion mechanisms, and because they are the likely sources of Galactic cosmic rays. X-ray observations are an important means to study these objects.And in particular the advances made in X-ray imaging spectroscopy over the last two decades has greatly increased our knowledge about supernova remnants. It has made it possible to map the products of fresh nucleosynthesis, and resulted in the identification of regions near shock fronts that emit X-ray sy…
We explore electron pre-acceleration at high Mach-number nonrelativistic perpendicular shocks at, e.g., young supernova remnants, which are a prerequisite of further acceleration to very high energies via diffusive shock acceleration. Using fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of shocks and electron dynamics in them, we investigate the influence of shock-surfing acceleration at the shock foot on the nonthermal population of electrons downstream of the shock. The shock-surfing acceleration is followed by further energization at the shock ramp where the Weibel instability spawns a type of …
Galactic cosmic rays are believed to be accelerated at supernova remnant shocks. Gamma-ray observations of both supernova remnants and associated molecular clouds have been used in several occasions to test (so far quite successfully) this popular hypothesis. Despite that, a conclusive solution to the problem of cosmic ray origin is still missing, and further observational and theoretical efforts are needed. In this paper, the current status of these investigations is briefly reviewed.
Starforming factories in galaxies produce compact clusters and loose associations of young massive stars. Fast radiation-driven winds and supernovae input their huge kinetic power into the interstellar medium in the form of highly supersonic and superalfvenic outflows. Apart from gas heating, collisionless relaxation of fast plasma outflows results in fluctuating magnetic fields and energetic particles. The energetic particles comprise a long-lived component which may contain a sizeable fraction of the kinetic energy released by the winds and supernova ejecta and thus modify the magnetohydrody…
Many aspects of the progenitor systems, environments, and explosion dynamics of the various subtypes of supernovae are difficult to investigate at extragalactic distances where they are observed as unresolved sources. Alternatively, young supernova remnants in our own galaxy and in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds offer opportunities to resolve, measure, and track expanding stellar ejecta in fine detail, but the handful that are known exhibit widely different properties that reflect the diversity of their parent explosions and local circumstellar and interstellar environments. A way of co…
The well-established Type Ia remnant of Tycho's supernova (SN 1572) reveals discrepant ambient medium density estimates based on either the measured dynamics or on the X-ray emission properties. This discrepancy can potentially be solved by assuming that the supernova remnant (SNR) shock initially moved through a stellar wind bubble, but is currently evolving in the uniform interstellar medium with a relatively low density. We investigate this scenario by combining hydrodynamical simulations of the wind-loss phase and the supernova remnant evolution with a coupled X-ray emission model, which i…
The emission of supernova remnants reflects the properties of both the progenitor supernovae and the surrounding environment. The complex morphology of the remnants, however, hampers the disentanglement of the two contributions. Here we aim at identifying the imprint of SN 1987A on the X-ray emission of its remnant and at constraining the structure of the environment surrounding the supernova. We performed high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations describing SN 1987A soon after the core-collapse and the following three-dimensional expansion of its remnant between days 1 and 15000 after the supe…
We review the class of galactic supernova remnants which show strong interactions with molecular clouds, revealed through shock-excited hydroxyl masers. These remnants are preferentially found among the known GeV and TeV detections of supernova remnants. It has been argued that the masers trace out the sites of hadronic particle acceleration. We discuss what is known about the physical conditions of these shocked regions and we introduce a potential new maser tracer for identifying the sites of cosmic ray acceleration. This review includes a reasonably complete bibliography for researchers new…
Supernova remnants are often presented as the most probable sources of Galactic cosmic rays. This idea is supported by the accumulation of evidence that particle acceleration is happening at supernova remnant shocks. Observations in the TeV range have especially contributed to increase the understanding of the mechanisms, but many aspects of the particle acceleration at supernova remnant shocks are still debated. The Cherenkov telescope array is expected to lead to the detection of many new supernova remnants in the TeV and multi-TeV range. In addition to the individual study of each, the stud…
Supernova remnants are believed to be the sources of galactic cosmic rays. Within this framework, diffusive shock acceleration must operate in these objects and accelerate protons all the way up to PeV energies. To do so, significant amplification of the magnetic field at the shock is required. The goal of this paper is to investigate the capability of supernova remnants to accelerate PeV protons. We present analytic estimates of the maximum energy of accelerated protons under various assumptions about the field amplification at supernova remnant shocks. We show that acceleration up to PeV ene…
Expressions for surface brightness distribution and for flux density have been theoretically derived in the case of two simple models of a shell supernova remnant. The models are: a homogenous optically thin emitting shell with constant emissivity and a synchrotron shell source with radial magnetic field. Interactive Data Language (IDL) codes for fitting theoretically derived emission profiles assuming these two models to mean profiles of shell supernova remnants obtained from radio observations have been written.
The gamma-ray observations of molecular clouds associated with supernova remnants are considered one of the most promising ways to search for a solution of the problem of cosmic ray origin. Here we briefly review the status of the field, with particular emphasis on the theoretical and phenomenological aspects of the problem.
Galactic cosmic rays are believed to be accelerated at supernova remnants via diffusive shock acceleration. Though this mechanism gives fairly robust predictions for the spectrum of particles accelerated at the shock, the spectrum of the cosmic rays which are eventually injected in the interstellar medium is more uncertain and depends on the details of the process of particle escape from the shock. Knowing the spectral shape of these escaping particles is of crucial importance in order to assess the validity of the supernova remnant paradigm for cosmic ray origin. Moreover, after escaping from…
Recent high energy gamma-ray observations of both single supernova remnants and superbubbles, together with observations of supernovae, star formation regions, and local cosmic ray composition, now provide an integrated framework tying together the sources, injection, acceleration and propagation of the cosmic rays, so that it is possible to determine their relative contributions to cosmic ray acceleration for all but the very highest energies.
A revised catalogue of 294 Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) is presented, along with some simple statistics. This catalogue has twenty more entries than did the previous version (from 2009), as 21 new remnants have been added, and one object has been removed as it has been identified as an HII region.