On the search for Galactic supernova remnant PeVatrons with current TeV instruments

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the capability of current TeV gamma-ray instruments to identify supernova remnants as PeVatrons, which are crucial for confirming their role in Galactic cosmic ray origins, and discusses prospects for future detections.

Contribution

It assesses the potential of existing gamma-ray instruments to detect supernova remnant PeVatrons, guiding future observational strategies.

Findings

Current instruments can identify promising supernova remnant candidates.

Detection of definitive PeVatrons remains challenging with existing technology.

Next-generation instruments are likely needed for conclusive identification.

Abstract

The supernova remnant hypothesis for the origin of Galactic cosmic rays has passed several tests, but the firm identification of a supernova remnant pevatron, considered to be a decisive step to prove the hypothesis, is still missing. While a lot of hope has been placed in next-generation instruments operating in the multi-TeV range, it is possible that current gamma-ray instruments, operating in the TeV range, could pinpoint these objects or, most likely, identify a number of promising targets for instruments of next generation. Starting from the assumption that supernova remnants are indeed the sources of Galactic cosmic rays, and therefore must be pevatrons for some fraction of their lifetime, we investigate the ability of current instruments to detect such objects, or to identify the most promising candidates.