Recent Results in Cosmic Ray Physics and Their Interpretation

The last decade has been dense with new developments in the search for the sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Some of these developments have confirmed the tight connection between cosmic rays and supernovae in our Galaxy, through the detection of gamma rays and the observation of thin non-thermal X-ray rims in supernova remnants. Some others, such as the detection of features in the spectra of some chemicals, opened new questions on the propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy and on details of the acceleration process. Here, I will summarize some of these developments and their implications for our understanding of the origin of cosmic rays. I will also discuss some new avenues that are being pursued in testing the supernova origin of Galactic cosmic rays.