Speaker
Description
The strong shocks involved in supernova remnants (SNRs) and their interaction with an often anisotropic surrounding medium make them very complex objects and ideal laboratories to study the production and acceleration of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs).
Despite being among the first object classes studied in radio astronomy, several observational challenges have so far prevented a full characterization of these extended sources, many aspects of which remain poorly understood. In particular, the contribution of SNRs to the population of Galactic CRs is still debated, as is the role played by their interaction with the surrounding environment in shaping the energy distribution of accelerated particles.
Moreover, local spectral variations are often observed within remnants, tracing regions under different physical conditions—affected by shock properties, variations in the surrounding medium, possible interactions with atomic or molecular clouds, the presence of pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), and/or unrelated superimposed or embedded sources (typically H II regions). To properly identify and investigate these regions, high-resolution images at different frequencies and sensitive spectral index maps are essential.
In this context, SKA precursors—ASKAP, MeerKAT, and MWA—are providing valuable and often unexpected insights on SNRs, thanks to their unique ability to probe spatial scales from a few arcseconds to several degrees with sensitivities down to tens of microjansky. These capabilities have enabled the discovery of hundreds of new Galactic SNRs and the redefinition of the exact morphology of many known SNRs. Furthermore, accurate integrated flux density measurements and arcsecond-scale spectral index maps are now available for dozens of remnants, expanding well beyond the small group of classical SNRs traditionally studied in detail (e.g., Cas A, Tycho, Kepler).
Looking ahead, SKA-LOW and MID will further enhance these capabilities, providing improved sensitivity, resolution, frequency coverage, and image fidelity. This will allow detailed studies of CR acceleration, spectral breaks, and magnetic field structures.
This talk will offer a detailed overview of the most recent progress in SNR studies enabled by the SKA precursors and discuss future advancements expected with the upcoming SKA Observatory (SKAO), with particular focus on the key science cases being developed by the italian community on the study of SNRs.
| Topics | Cradle of Life & Our Galaxy |
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