Measurement of the tau lepton lifetime

Collaboration
Oct, 1991
12 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Lett.B 273 (1991) 355-366
  • Published: 1991
Report number:
  • CERN-PPE-91-164
Experiments:

Citations per year

1992199319941995199602468101214
Abstract: (Elsevier)
The tau lepton lifetime has been measured using two independent techniques; an impact parameter analysis of the 1-prong decays and a decay length analysis of the 3-prong decays. Approximately 5 000 Z 0 decays to τ + τ − have been selected from the data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP during 1990. The results of the two statistically independent measurements are, respectively, τ 1 =0.293 ± 0.013 (stat.)±0.013 (syst.) ps and τ 3 =0.327±0.017 (stat.)±0.011 (syst.) ps. After combining the statistical and systematic errors for each analysis in quadrature, the weighted average lifetime is calculated to be τ τ =0.308 ± 0.013 ps.
  • electron positron: colliding beams
  • colliding beams: electron positron
  • electron positron: annihilation
  • annihilation: electron positron
  • Z0: electroproduction
  • electroproduction: Z0
  • tau: pair production
  • pair production: tau
  • tau: semileptonic decay
  • semileptonic decay: tau