Nonthermal X-rays from supernova remnants

Since the discovery of nonthermal X-rays in the shell-type supernova remnant SN1006 almost 20 years ago, the field has developed considerably, owing significant progress to our understanding of particle acceleration. Key to the characterization of the nonthermal emission is the ability of current satellites, XMM-Newton and Chandra, to perform spatially resolved spectroscopy at a relatively small spatial scale.

In this review, I intend to present the main contributions of the study of nonthermal X-rays from supernova remnants to the understanding of particle acceleration.