Search for TeV emission from the region around PSR B1706-44 with the HESS experiment

The region around PSR B1706-44 has been observed with the HESS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes in 2003. No evidence for $\gamma$-ray emission in the TeV range was found at the pulsar position or at the radio arc which corresponds to the supernova remnant G 343.1-2.3. The 99% confidence level flux upper limit at the pulsar position is $F_{{\rm ul}}$( $E>350~{\rm GeV}) = 1.4 \times 10^{-12}~ {\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm cm}^{-2}$ assuming a power law ( ${\rm d}N/{\rm d}E \propto E^{-\Gamma}$) with photon index of $\Gamma = 2.5$ and $F_{{\rm ul}}$( $E > 500\,{\rm GeV}) = 1.3 \times 10^{-12} ~ {\rm s}^{-1}\, {\rm cm}^{-2}$ without an assumption on the spectral shape. The reported upper limits correspond to 8% of the flux from an earlier detection by the CANGAROO experiment.