  Supernova remnants are often presented as the most probable sources of
Galactic cosmic rays. This idea is supported by the accumulation of evidence
that particle acceleration is happening at supernova remnant shocks.
Observations in the TeV range have especially contributed to increase the
understanding of the mechanisms, but many aspects of the particle acceleration
at supernova remnant shocks are still debated. The Cherenkov telescope array is
expected to lead to the detection of many new supernova remnants in the TeV and
multi-TeV range. In addition to the individual study of each, the study of
these objects as a population can help constrain the parameters describing the
acceleration of particles and increase our understanding of the mechanisms
involved.
