Summary on tau Leptonic Branching Ratios and Universality

TL;DR

This paper reviews precise measurements of tau leptonic decay branching ratios from multiple experiments, confirming lepton universality within 0.25% and constraining related parameters.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of experimental techniques and combines data to refine tau leptonic branching ratios and test lepton universality.

Findings

Branching ratios: Be = (17.81 +/- 0.06)% and Bmu = (17.36 +/- 0.06)%

Results consistent with universality at 0.25% precision

Estimated eta parameter: 0.012 +/- 0.024

Abstract

The large samples of tau decays available from CLEO and the four LEP experiment have resulted in new, precise measurements of the leptonic branching ratios of the $\tau$. The experimental techniques to obtain these results are reviewed with special emphasis on the DELPHI measurement. World averages are found to be Be = (17.81 +/- 0.06) % and Bmu = (17.36 +/- 0.06) %. These results are consistent with universality in the charged current couplings to a precision of about 0.25 %. The branching ratio measurements can also be used to constrain the "low energy parameter" eta. It is shown that the sensitivity to eta depends on details of the momentum acceptance for muon identification in the different experiments. Assuming universality in the couplings, the estimate eta = 0.012 +/- 0.024 is obtained.