# Exploring particle escape in supernova remnants through gamma rays

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how particles escape from supernova remnants and influence gamma-ray spectra, suggesting that suppressed diffusion outside the remnant causes a broken power-law spectrum similar to observations.

## Contribution

It introduces a phenomenological model linking particle escape, diffusion suppression, and gamma-ray spectra, aiding interpretation of observational data.

## Key findings

- Particles remain inside SNRs longer than expected, affecting gamma-ray spectra.
- Gamma-ray spectra exhibit a broken power law, matching observations.
- The model constrains diffusion coefficients and maximum energy evolution.

## Abstract

The escape process of particles accelerated at supernova remnant (SNR) shocks is one of the poorly understood aspects of the shock acceleration theory. Here we adopt a phenomenological approach to study the particle escape and its impact on the gamma-ray spectrum resulting from hadronic collisions both inside and outside of a middle-aged SNR. Under the assumption that in the spatial region immediately outside of the remnant the diffusion coefficient is suppressed with respect to the average Galactic one, we show that a significant fraction of particles are still located inside the SNR long time after their nominal release from the acceleration region. This fact results into a gamma-ray spectrum that resembles a broken power law, similar to those observed in several middle-aged SNRs. Above the break, the spectral steepening is determined by the diffusion coefficient outside of the SNR and by the time dependence of maximum energy. Consequently, the comparison between the model prediction and actual data will contribute to determining these two quantities, the former being particularly relevant within the predictions of the gamma-ray emission from the halo of escaping particles around SNRs which could be detected with future Cherenkov telescope facilities. We also calculate the spectrum of run-away particles injected into the Galaxy by an individual remnant. Assuming that the acceleration stops before the SNR enters the snowplow phase, we show that the released spectrum can be a featureless power law only if the accelerated spectrum has a slope alpha > 4.