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High-energy gamma-ray emission in our Galaxy is often associated with supernova remnants (SNRs) as sources of cosmic rays, producing gamma rays in interactions with the interstellar medium (ISM), magnetic fields and soft photon fields. However, gamma rays are not necessarily produced at the centre of SNRs, as SNRs expand and cosmic rays escape the shock front and diffuse in ambient fields, ultimately transporting them through the ISM. Due to their different transport properties, hadronic and leptonic cosmic rays could be distinguished by the distance of molecular clouds in the surrounding ISM, which are lit up in gamma rays. The energy-dependent morphology of the gamma-ray emission also allows us to investigate characteristics of the SNR and its environment. For accurate modelling, we need to know the location of the cosmic rays and the ISM in 3D, as small changes in relative position cause large differences in morphology. In this presentation, I will introduce the importance and challenges of determining these distributions in 3D, including a machine learning approach to cluster molecular clouds. Moreover, the prospects for performing these investigations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) will be discussed. CTAO is the next-generation gamma-ray observatory with more than 100 telescopes, providing a new view of the high-energy gamma-ray sky at unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution. |
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