Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants

Cherenkov Telescope Array Consortium

doi:10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102850

Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants

Cherenkov Telescope Array Consortium

Physics

Université Paris-Saclay
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
University of Barcelona
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - CSIC
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Gran Sasso Science Institute
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
Complutense University
Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Bologna
Osservatorio Astrofisico Di Arcetri, Florence
University of Perugia
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
Aix-Marseille Université
University of Padua
The University of Tokyo
University of Groningen
University of Namibia
North West University
University of Hamburg
Monash University
University of Geneva
Universidad del Azuay
German Electron Synchrotron
Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas
Ruhr University Bochum
Harvard & Smithsonian
CIEMAT
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
NASU - Pidstryhach Institute for Applied Problems of Mechanics and Mathematics
University of Nova Gorica
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Institute for High Energy Physics
Université Montpellier 2
Université Grenoble Alpes
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Columbia University
Osservatorio Astronomico Roma
Università di Roma
National Institute for Astrophysics
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Cracow
Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte
Universidade de São Paulo
Université de Paris
Durham University
University of the Witwatersrand
Dublin City University
University of Turin
Czech Academy of Sciences
Universidade Federal do Paraná
Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania
Research University
Australian National University
University of Bergen
University of Naples Federico II
University of Bari
University of Tübingen
The University of Chicago
University of Adelaide
TU Dortmund University
Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University
RIKEN
Western Sydney University
Astronomical Observatory of Padua
A. Alikhanian Yerevan Institute of Physics
Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
University of Split
Max Planck Institute for Physics (Werner Heisenberg Institute)
Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires Bordeaux-Gradingnan (CENBG)
Yamagata University
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
University of Delaware
Palacký University Olomouc
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
University of Łódź
Jagiellonian University in Kraków
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg
University of Iowa
University of Utah
University of Innsbruck
University of Oslo
Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences
IRAP
High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Institute of Particle and Nuclear Physics
University of Leicester
Sorbonne Université
University of Catania
University of Turku
University of Trieste
University of La Laguna
University of Jaén
University of Amsterdam
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
University of Rijeka
University of Siena
University of Potsdam
University of Palermo
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Białystok
Tokai University
Ivan Franko National University of L'viv
Nagoya University
University of California at Los Angeles
Tokushima University
Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory
University of Pisa
University of L'Aquila
Heidelberg University
Universidad de Concepción
University of Manitoba
University of Oxford
AGH University of Science and Technology
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
Humboldt University of Berlin
Warsaw University of Technology
Hiroshima University
Aoyama Gakuin University
CAS - National Astronomical Observatories
Campus UAB
Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya
ICREA
Universidad Técnica Federico Santa Maria
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Johannesburg
Sun Yat-Sen University
Ibaraki University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The local Cosmic Ray (CR) energy spectrum exhibits a spectral softening at energies around 3 PeV. Sources which are capable of accelerating hadrons to such energies are called hadronic PeVatrons. However, hadronic PeVatrons have not yet been firmly identified within the Galaxy. Several source classes, including Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), have been proposed as PeVatron candidates. The potential to search for hadronic PeVatrons with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is assessed. The focus is on the usage of very high energy γ-ray spectral signatures for the identification of PeVatrons. Assuming that SNRs can accelerate CRs up to knee energies, the number of Galactic SNRs which can be identified as PeVatrons with CTA is estimated within a model for the evolution of SNRs. Additionally, the potential of a follow-up observation strategy under moonlight conditions for PeVatron searches is investigated. Statistical methods for the identification of PeVatrons are introduced, and realistic Monte-Carlo simulations of the response of the CTA observatory to the emission spectra from hadronic PeVatrons are performed. Based on simulations of a simplified model for the evolution for SNRs, the detection of a γ-ray signal from in average 9 Galactic PeVatron SNRs is expected to result from the scan of the Galactic plane with CTA after 10 h of exposure. CTA is also shown to have excellent potential to confirm these sources as PeVatrons in deep observations with O(100) hours of exposure per source.

Original language	English
Article number	102850
Journal	Astroparticle Physics
Volume	150
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102850
Publication status	Published - Aug 2023

Keywords

(Stars:) supernovae: general
Cosmic rays
Galactic PeVatrons
Gamma rays: general
Methods: data analysis
Methods: statistical

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics

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10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102850

Cite this

@article{34c5f920f3fe4a3bb80cc0e245615808,

title = "Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants",

abstract = "The local Cosmic Ray (CR) energy spectrum exhibits a spectral softening at energies around 3 PeV. Sources which are capable of accelerating hadrons to such energies are called hadronic PeVatrons. However, hadronic PeVatrons have not yet been firmly identified within the Galaxy. Several source classes, including Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), have been proposed as PeVatron candidates. The potential to search for hadronic PeVatrons with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is assessed. The focus is on the usage of very high energy γ-ray spectral signatures for the identification of PeVatrons. Assuming that SNRs can accelerate CRs up to knee energies, the number of Galactic SNRs which can be identified as PeVatrons with CTA is estimated within a model for the evolution of SNRs. Additionally, the potential of a follow-up observation strategy under moonlight conditions for PeVatron searches is investigated. Statistical methods for the identification of PeVatrons are introduced, and realistic Monte-Carlo simulations of the response of the CTA observatory to the emission spectra from hadronic PeVatrons are performed. Based on simulations of a simplified model for the evolution for SNRs, the detection of a γ-ray signal from in average 9 Galactic PeVatron SNRs is expected to result from the scan of the Galactic plane with CTA after 10 h of exposure. CTA is also shown to have excellent potential to confirm these sources as PeVatrons in deep observations with O(100) hours of exposure per source.",

keywords = "(Stars:) supernovae: general, Cosmic rays, Galactic PeVatrons, Gamma rays: general, Methods: data analysis, Methods: statistical",

author = "\{Cherenkov Telescope Array Consortium\} and F. Acero and A. Acharyya and R. Adam and A. Aguasca-Cabot and I. Agudo and A. Aguirre-Santaella and J. Alfaro and R. Aloisio and Crespo, \{N. {\'A}lvarez\} and Batista, \{R. Alves\} and L. Amati and E. Amato and G. Ambrosi and Ang{\"u}ner, \{E. O.\} and C. Aramo and C. Arcaro and T. Armstrong and K. Asano and Y. Ascasibar and J. Aschersleben and M. Backes and A. Baktash and C. Balazs and M. Balbo and J. Ballet and Larriva, \{A. Baquero\} and Martins, \{V. Barbosa\} and \{de Almeida\}, \{U. Barres\} and Barrio, \{J. A.\} and D. Bastieri and Baxter, \{J. R.\} and Tjus, \{J. Becker\} and W. Benbow and Bernardos-Mart{\'i}n, \{M. I.\} and J. Bernete and A. Berti and B. Bertucci and V. Beshley and P. Bhattacharjee and S. Bhattacharyya and A. Biland and E. Bissaldi and J. Biteau and O. Blanch and P. Bordas and E. Bottacini and J. Bregeon and R. Brose and N. Bucciantini and S. Razzaque",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2023",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102850",

language = "English",

volume = "150",

journal = "Astroparticle Physics",

issn = "0927-6505",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants

AU - Cherenkov Telescope Array Consortium

AU - Acero, F.

AU - Acharyya, A.

AU - Adam, R.

AU - Aguasca-Cabot, A.

AU - Agudo, I.

AU - Aguirre-Santaella, A.

AU - Alfaro, J.

AU - Aloisio, R.

AU - Crespo, N. Álvarez

AU - Batista, R. Alves

AU - Amati, L.

AU - Amato, E.

AU - Ambrosi, G.

AU - Angüner, E. O.

AU - Aramo, C.

AU - Arcaro, C.

AU - Armstrong, T.

AU - Asano, K.

AU - Ascasibar, Y.

AU - Aschersleben, J.

AU - Backes, M.

AU - Baktash, A.

AU - Balazs, C.

AU - Balbo, M.

AU - Ballet, J.

AU - Larriva, A. Baquero

AU - Martins, V. Barbosa

AU - de Almeida, U. Barres

AU - Barrio, J. A.

AU - Bastieri, D.

AU - Baxter, J. R.

AU - Tjus, J. Becker

AU - Benbow, W.

AU - Bernardos-Martín, M. I.

AU - Bernete, J.

AU - Berti, A.

AU - Bertucci, B.

AU - Beshley, V.

AU - Bhattacharjee, P.

AU - Bhattacharyya, S.

AU - Biland, A.

AU - Bissaldi, E.

AU - Biteau, J.

AU - Blanch, O.

AU - Bordas, P.

AU - Bottacini, E.

AU - Bregeon, J.

AU - Brose, R.

AU - Bucciantini, N.

AU - Razzaque, S.

PY - 2023/8

Y1 - 2023/8

N2 - The local Cosmic Ray (CR) energy spectrum exhibits a spectral softening at energies around 3 PeV. Sources which are capable of accelerating hadrons to such energies are called hadronic PeVatrons. However, hadronic PeVatrons have not yet been firmly identified within the Galaxy. Several source classes, including Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), have been proposed as PeVatron candidates. The potential to search for hadronic PeVatrons with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is assessed. The focus is on the usage of very high energy γ-ray spectral signatures for the identification of PeVatrons. Assuming that SNRs can accelerate CRs up to knee energies, the number of Galactic SNRs which can be identified as PeVatrons with CTA is estimated within a model for the evolution of SNRs. Additionally, the potential of a follow-up observation strategy under moonlight conditions for PeVatron searches is investigated. Statistical methods for the identification of PeVatrons are introduced, and realistic Monte-Carlo simulations of the response of the CTA observatory to the emission spectra from hadronic PeVatrons are performed. Based on simulations of a simplified model for the evolution for SNRs, the detection of a γ-ray signal from in average 9 Galactic PeVatron SNRs is expected to result from the scan of the Galactic plane with CTA after 10 h of exposure. CTA is also shown to have excellent potential to confirm these sources as PeVatrons in deep observations with O(100) hours of exposure per source.

AB - The local Cosmic Ray (CR) energy spectrum exhibits a spectral softening at energies around 3 PeV. Sources which are capable of accelerating hadrons to such energies are called hadronic PeVatrons. However, hadronic PeVatrons have not yet been firmly identified within the Galaxy. Several source classes, including Galactic Supernova Remnants (SNRs), have been proposed as PeVatron candidates. The potential to search for hadronic PeVatrons with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is assessed. The focus is on the usage of very high energy γ-ray spectral signatures for the identification of PeVatrons. Assuming that SNRs can accelerate CRs up to knee energies, the number of Galactic SNRs which can be identified as PeVatrons with CTA is estimated within a model for the evolution of SNRs. Additionally, the potential of a follow-up observation strategy under moonlight conditions for PeVatron searches is investigated. Statistical methods for the identification of PeVatrons are introduced, and realistic Monte-Carlo simulations of the response of the CTA observatory to the emission spectra from hadronic PeVatrons are performed. Based on simulations of a simplified model for the evolution for SNRs, the detection of a γ-ray signal from in average 9 Galactic PeVatron SNRs is expected to result from the scan of the Galactic plane with CTA after 10 h of exposure. CTA is also shown to have excellent potential to confirm these sources as PeVatrons in deep observations with O(100) hours of exposure per source.

KW - (Stars:) supernovae: general

KW - Cosmic rays

KW - Galactic PeVatrons

KW - Gamma rays: general

KW - Methods: data analysis

KW - Methods: statistical

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85151783384

U2 - 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102850

DO - 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2023.102850

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85151783384

SN - 0927-6505

VL - 150

JO - Astroparticle Physics

JF - Astroparticle Physics

M1 - 102850

ER -

Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to spectral signatures of hadronic PeVatrons with application to Galactic Supernova Remnants

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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