Supernova-Remnant Origin of Cosmic Rays?
arXiv:astro-ph/0208034 · doi:10.1038/418499a
Abstract
It is thought that Galactic cosmic ray (CR) nuclei are gradually accelerated to high energies (up to ~300 TeV/nucleon, where 1TeV=10^12eV) in the expanding shock-waves connected with the remnants of powerful supernova explosions. However, this conjecture has eluded direct observational confirmation^1,2 since it was first proposed in 1953 (ref. 3). Enomoto et al.^4 claim to have finally found definitive evidence that corroborates this model, proposing that the very-high-energy, TeV-range, gamma-rays from the supernova remnant (SNR) RX J1713.7-3946 are due to the interactions of energetic nuclei in this region. Here we argue that their claim is not supported by the existing multiwavelength spectrum of this source. The search for the origin(s) of Galactic cosmic ray nuclei may be closing in on the long-suspected supernova-remnant sources, but it is not yet over.
4 pages, 1 Figure
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- XMM-Newton observations of the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 and its central source
- Theory of cosmic ray production in the supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946
- A High-Resolution Study of Nonthermal Radio and X-Ray Emission from SNR G347.3-0.5
- Astrophysical Origins of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
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- A Detailed Study of Molecular Clouds toward the TeV Gamma-Ray SNR G347.3-0.5
- Hydrodynamic Simulation of Supernova Remnants Including Efficient Particle Acceleration
- Gamma-ray emission from Cassiopeia A produced by accelerated cosmic rays
- CHANDRA/VLA Follow-up of TeV J2032+4131, the Only Unidentified TeV Gamma-ray Source
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- No evidence yet for hadronic TeV gamma-ray emission from SNR RX J1713.7-3946
- Galactic discrete sources of high energy neutrinos
- Cosmic Physics: The High Energy Frontier
- Chandra and H.E.S.S. observations of the Supernova Remnant CTB 37B
- On the gamma-ray spectra radiated by protons accelerated in SNR shocks near molecular clouds: The case of SNR RX J1713.7-3946
- RXTE, ROSAT and ASCA Observations of G347.3-0.5 (RX J1713.7-3946): Probing Cosmic Ray Acceleration by a Galactic Shell-Type Supernova Remnant
- Dynamics of Mesoscale Magnetic Field in Diffusive Shock Acceleration
- Shocks and Particle Acceleration in Supernova Remnants: Observational Features
- GLAST: Understanding the High Energy Gamma-Ray Sky
- The origin of non-thermal X-ray filaments and TeV emission in young SNRs
- The Multiwavelength Approach to Unidentified Gamma-Ray Sources
- Multiwavelength Spectral Models for SNR G347.3-0.5 from Non-Linear Shock Acceleration
- Status of the connection between unidentified EGRET sources and supernova remnants: The case of CTA 1
- Did Egret Detect Distant Supernova Remnants?