Future GLAST observations of Supernova remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae

TL;DR

This paper discusses how future observations with the GLAST telescope will enhance understanding of particle acceleration in supernova remnants and pulsar wind nebulae, key sources of cosmic rays in our galaxy.

Contribution

It presents the potential of the GLAST LAT instrument to investigate particle acceleration mechanisms in SNRs and PWNe in an energy range that was previously underexplored.

Findings

GLAST will improve sensitivity and resolution for gamma-ray observations of SNRs and PWNe.

Expected to provide new insights into cosmic ray acceleration processes.

Will help confirm the role of SNRs as sources of galactic cosmic rays.

Abstract

Shell-type Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been known to harbour a population of ultra-relativistic particles, accelerated in the Supernova shock wave by the mechanism of diffusive shock acceleration. Experimental evidence for the existence of electrons up to energies of ~100 TeV was first provided by the detection of hard X-ray synchrotron emission as e.g. in the shell of the young SNR SN1006. Furthermore using theoretical arguments shell-type Supernova remnants have long been considered as the main accelerator of protons - Cosmic rays - in the Galaxy; definite proof of this process is however still missing. Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWN) - diffuse structures surrounding young pulsars - are another class of objects known to be a site of particle acceleration in the Galaxy, again through the detection of hard synchrotron X-rays such as in the Crab Nebula. Gamma-rays above 100 MeV provide a direct access to acceleration processes. The GLAST Large Area telescope (LAT) will be operating in the energy range between 30 MeV and 300 GeV and will provide excellent sensitivity, angular and energy resolution in a previously rather poorly explored energy band. We will describe prospects for the investigation of these Galactic particle accelerators with GLAST.