Measurement of the τ− → h− π0ντ and τ− → h− 2π0ντ branching ratios

Abstract The branching ratios of the τ − → h − π 0 v τ and τ − → h − ⩾ 2π 0 v τ decays (where h − is either a π − or K − ) are measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The two branching ratios are simultaneously measured using separate selection criteria and are found to be B h − π 0 = (26.25 ± 0.35 ± 0.52)%, B h − ⩾ 2 π 0 = (9.89 ± 0.34 ± 0.55)% B h − π 0 + B h − ⩾ 2 π 0 = (36.14 ± 0.33 ± 0.58)%, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.