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Abstract

One of the most prominent classes of astrophysical particle accelerators are su- pernova remnants. These objects result from the interaction of stellar material, being ejected during supernova explosions at velocities of several thousands of kilometres per second, with the ambient medium. The H.E.S.S. experiment is able to observe such sources at very-high-energies ( > 100 GeV) with the best possible sensitivity to date. As a first part of this work, a simulation of the theoretically expected population of supernova remnants at these energies was performed, followed by an analysis of the very-high-energy gamma-ray emis- sion from the source ensemble known at other wave lengths. Assuming cur- rently accepted standard parameters, the simulation is able to reproduce the observed numbers of supernova remnants in the radio as well as the very-high- energy range, but only if these objects amplify their own magnetic field. It should be mentioned, however, that a large number of parameters is required in the simulation, many of which are attributed with large uncertainties. The data analysis did not result in any new detections but allowed it to determine over a hundred flux upper limits. A hint of a faint, cumulated emission from the ensemble of supernova remnants might have been observed. A comparison to the developed model gives an explanation for the gamma-ray faintness of the investigated objects and suggests a possible detection of over a hundred super- nova remnants with the next generation of Cherenkov telescope experiments.