Supernova remnants in the very-high-energy sky: prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

TL;DR

This paper uses Monte Carlo simulations to predict how many supernova remnants the Cherenkov Telescope Array might detect in the TeV range, aiming to understand their role in cosmic ray acceleration.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based approach to forecast the population of TeV-emitting supernova remnants for CTA and explores how future observations can test their connection to cosmic rays.

Findings

Predicted detection rates of SNRs with CTA

Constraints on particle acceleration parameters

Potential to confirm SNRs as cosmic ray sources

Abstract

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 SNR, the study of these objects as a population can help constraining the parameters describing the acceleration of particles and increasing our understanding of the mechanisms involved. We present Monte Carlo simulations of the population of Galactic SNRs emitting TeV gamma rays. We also discuss how the simulated population can be confronted with future observations to provide a novel test for the SNR hypothesis of cosmic ray origins.