The 2009 Fermi Symposium

VERITAS Observations of Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae in the Fermi Era

Brian Humensky

Abstract:

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are among the strongest candidates to explain the flux of cosmic rays below the knee around 1015 eV. Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), synchrotron nebulae powered by the spin-down of energetic young pulsars, comprise one of the most populous VHE gamma-ray source classes. Gamma-ray studies in the GeV and TeV bands probe the nature (ions vs. electrons), production, and diffusion of high-energy particles in SNRs and PWNe. For sources that are visible across both the GeV and TeV bands, such as IC 443, the spatial and spectral distribution of gamma rays can be studied over an unprecedented energy range. This presentation will review recent VERITAS results, including studies of Cassiopeia A, IC 443, PSR J1930, and the SNR G106.3+2.7/Boomerang region, and discuss prospects for complementary studies of SNRs and PWNe in the Fermi and VHE gamma-ray bands.