Search for Neutrinoless $\tau$ Decays Involving $\pi^{0}$ or $\eta$ Mesons

TL;DR

This study searched for rare lepton flavor violating tau decays involving neutral mesons using CLEO II data, setting new upper limits on their branching fractions due to no observed signals.

Contribution

First to set upper limits on tau decays involving two neutral mesons, improving constraints on lepton flavor violation.

Findings

No evidence of lepton flavor violating tau decays was observed.

Established new upper limits on branching fractions for these rare decays.

Provided the first limits for tau decays involving two neutral mesons.

Abstract

We have searched for lepton family number violating decays of the $\tau$ lepton using final states with an electron or a muon and one or more $\pi^0$ or $\eta$ mesons but no neutrinos. The data used in the search were collected with the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.68 $fb^{-1}$. No evidence for signals was found, resulting in much improved limits on the branching fractions for the one-meson modes and the first upper limits for the two-meson modes.