  A nonlinear kinetic theory of cosmic ray (CR) acceleration in supernova
remnants (SNRs) is employed to investigate the properties of SNR RX
J1713.7-3946. Observations of the nonthermal radio and X-ray emission spectra
as well as the H.E.S.S. measurements of the very high energy gamma-ray emission
are used to constrain the astronomical and the particle acceleration parameters
of the system. Under the assumptions that RX J1713.7-3946 was a core collapse
supernova (SN) of type II/Ib with a massive progenitor, has an age of \approx
1600 yr and is at a distance of \approx 1 kpc, the theory gives indeed a
consistent description for all the existing observational data. Specifically it
is shown that an efficient production of nuclear CRs, leading to strong shock
modification, and a large downstream magnetic field strength B_d ~ 100 mkG can
reproduce in detail the observed synchrotron emission from radio to X-ray
frequencies together with the gamma-ray spectral characteristics as observed by
the H.E.S.S. telescopes. Small-scale filamentary structures observed in
nonthermal X-rays provide empirical confirmation for the field amplification
scenario which leads to a strong depression of the inverse Compton and
Bremsstrahlung fluxes. Going beyond that and using a semi-empirical relation
for young SNRs between the resulting CR pressure and the amplified magnetic
field energy upstream of the outer SN shock as well as a moderate upper bound
for the mechanical explosion energy, it is possible to also demonstrate the
actual need for a considerable shock modification in RX J1713.7-3946. It is
consistent with RX J1713.7-3946 being an efficient source of nuclear cosmic
rays.
