The First Fermi-LAT SNR Catalog and Cosmic Ray Implications
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
3-23-2017
Abstract
While supernova remnants (SNRs) are widely thought to be powerful cosmicray accelerators, indirect evidence comes from a small number of well-studied cases. Here we systematically determine the gamma-ray emission detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) from all known Galactic SNRs, disentangling them from the sea of cosmic-ray generated photons in the Galactic plane. Using LAT data we have characterized the 1-100 GeV emission in 279 regions containing SNRs, accounting for systematic uncertainties caused by source misattribution and instrumental response. We classified 30 sources as SNRs, using spatial overlap with the radio emission position. For all the remaining regions we evaluated upper limits on SNRs' emission. In the First Fermi-LAT SNR Catalog there is a study of the common characteristics of these SNRs, such as comparisons between GeV, radio and TeV quantities. We show that previously satisfactory models of SNRs' GeV emission no longer adequately describe the data. To address the question of cosmic ray (CR) origins, we also examine the SNRs' maximal CR contribution assuming the GeV emission arises solely from proton interactions. Improved breadth and quality of multiwavelength (MW) data, including distances and local densities, and more, higher resolution gamma-ray data with correspondingly improved Galactic diffuse models will strengthen this constraint.
Publication Title
EPJ Web of Conferences
Volume
136
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1051/epjconf/201713603009
ISSN
21016275
E-ISSN
2100014X
Citation Information
F de Palma, T J Brandt, & JW Hewitt on behalf of Fermi-LAT Collaboration. (2017). The First Fermi-LAT SNR Catalog and Cosmic Ray Implications. EPJ Web of Conferences, 136, 03009–. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201713603009