Very High Energy emission of Supernova Remnants
Abstract
Shell-type supernova remnants are widely believed to be the prime candidates for accelerating cosmic rays up to 1015 eV. One way of proving the existence of high energy particles in the shells of supernova remnants is the detection of very high energy gamma-rays, produced in nucleonic interactions with ambient matter or by inverse Compton scattering of accelerated electrons off ambient photons. Recently, increasing observational results have been published on supernova remnants (SNRs) by the new generation of gamma-ray detectors and especially by H.E.S.S. and MAGIC. Indeed, in only a few years, five new supernova remnants were detected: three with shell-type morphology, and two with apparent correlation with the ambient target material rather than with the radio/X-ray emission of the shell itself (suggesting that the TeV emission may arise from interactions of hadronic cosmic rays in the SNRs). The current status of gamma-ray observations will be presented as well as possible implications. Prospect for observations of these sources with GLAST and AGILE in the energy range above 100 MeV will also be addressed.
- Publication:
-
37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008cosp...37.1746L