General treatment of τ semileptonic decays by polarized-partial-width measurements

The most general Lorentz-invariant spin-correlation functions for τ-→ρ-ν, a-1ν, K*-ν, π-ν, K-ν are expressed in terms of eight semileptonic parameters. The parameters are physically defined in terms of τ-decay partial-width intensities for polarized final states. The parameters are also expressed in terms of a open-quote open-quote(V-A) + additional chiral coupling close-quote close-quote structure in the Jchargedlepton current, so as to bound effective-mass scales Λ for open-quote open-quote new physics close-quote close-quote such as arising from lepton compositeness, leptonic CP violation, leptonic T violation, τ weak magnetism, weak electricity, and/or second-class currents. The two tests for leptonic CP violation in τ→ρν decay are generalized to τ→a1ν decay and to two additional tests if there are νR and bar νL couplings. For 107(τ-,τ+) pairs at 10 GeV, from the {ρ-,ρ+} mode and using the four-variable distribution I4, the ideal statistical percentage errors are, for ξ, 0.6%, for ζ, 0.7%, for σ, 1.3%, and for ω, 0.6%. CP tests are typically √2 worse. Parameters sensitive to leptonic T violation are ω, and the following from the {a-1,a+1} mode: using I-5 the errors are, for η, 0.6%; using I7, for η', 0.013; and using I-7, for ω', 0.002. (Abstract Truncated)