Acceleration of cosmic rays and gamma-ray emission from supernova remnant/molecular cloud associations

TL;DR

This paper reviews how gamma-ray observations of supernova remnant/molecular cloud associations can shed light on the origin of cosmic rays, emphasizing theoretical and phenomenological insights.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the current status and challenges in using gamma-ray data to understand cosmic ray acceleration in supernova remnants.

Findings

Gamma-ray emissions are linked to cosmic ray interactions in molecular clouds.

Supernova remnants are promising sources of galactic cosmic rays.

Theoretical models help interpret gamma-ray observations in this context.

Abstract

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.