Measurement of the $τ$-lepton lifetime at Belle

Abstract

The lifetime of the $τ$-lepton is measured using the process $e^+e^-\rightarrowτ^+τ^-$, where both $τ$-leptons decay to $3πν_τ$. The result for the mean lifetime, based on $711\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of data collected with the Belle detector at the $Υ(4S)$ resonance and $60\,\mathrm{MeV}$ below, is $τ= (290.17 \pm 0.53(\mathrm{stat.}) \pm 0.33(\mathrm{syst.}))\cdot10^{-15}\,\mathrm{s}$. The first measurement of the lifetime difference between $τ^+$ and $τ^-$ is performed. The upper limit on the relative lifetime difference between positive and negative $τ$-leptons is $|Δτ| / τ< 7.0 \times 10^{-3}$ at 90% CL.

17 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett