The pion-bump structure in the gamma-ray spectrum is a direct proof for the hadronic origin of the gamma rays, and thus the decisive evidence for the acceleration of hadronic cosmic rays in astrophysical objects. However, the identification of such a spectral feature is limited by the resolution and energy coverage of current gamma-ray instruments. Furthermore, there are unavoidable bremsstrahlung emissions from secondary and primary electrons, which may dominate the gamma-ray emission below the pion-bump. Thus, the study of this gamma-ray emission component can provide unique information on the acceleration and confinement of high-energy particles. In this paper, we studied the predicted gamma-ray spectrum assuming both hadronic or leptonic origin in mid-aged supernova remnants W44, we discuss the detection potential of future MeV missions on these emissions and possible implications.
@article{arxiv.2406.03691,
title = {Precise measurement of pion-bump structure using future MeV gamma-ray detectors},
author = {Jiahao Liu and Bing Liu and Ruizhi Yang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2406.03691},
year = {2024}
}