Interacting Supernova Remnants: a population model for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

TL;DR

This paper develops a population model for interacting supernova remnants (iSNRs) to predict their numbers and detectability with the Cherenkov Telescope Array, aiding understanding of cosmic ray acceleration.

Contribution

It introduces the first population model for iSNRs, based on a comprehensive catalog, to forecast their Galactic numbers and CTA detection potential.

Findings

CTA can detect the same number of iSNRs as currently known.

The model predicts a significant number of undetected iSNRs in the Galaxy.

iSNRs are confirmed as key sites for high-energy particle acceleration.

Abstract

The work presented in this thesis is focused on the interacting supernova remnants (iSNRs), a class of gamma-ray emitting SNR where the radiation arise from the interaction of the SNR with a massive molecular cloud. At the moment only 16 iSNR are known. Before this work, there was not any population study of these sources. Here is proposed a model for the Galactic population of iSNRs which can be used in order to predict the number of these systems in the Galaxy and how many of these will be detectable by the next generation of {\gamma}-ray instruments. iSNRs are of particular interest for the particle acceleration study because these objects have been proved to be sites of acceleration of protons up to high energies. Furthermore, high-energy $\gamma$-ray emission can pinpoint the presence of energetic leptons or ions and help to constraint the acceleration efficiency and maximum energy of accelerated particles The model presented her was only achievable through the creation of a complete catalog of {\gamma}-ray (both GeV and TeV) supernova remnants that for each supernova remnants gives collect the physical and spectral information available in litterature. Simulating and analyzing the synthetic population, it was found that the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be able to duplicate the number of detected interacting systems in its survey of the Galactic plane.