Search for a heavy neutrino in $τ$ decays at Belle

Abstract

We report on a search for a heavy neutrino in the decays $τ^- \to π^- ν_h$, $ν_h \to π^\pm \ell-+$, $\ell = e, μ$. The results are obtained using the full data sample collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy $e^+e^-$ collider. We observe no significant signal and set 90% CL upper limits on the couplings of the heavy right-handed neutrinos to the conventional SM left-handed neutrinos in the mass range 0.2-1.6 GeV/c$^2$.

13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, including supplemental material. Published by PRL. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1301.1105