Studies of the Strange Hadronic Tau Decay Tau- to K0(S) Pi- Nu-Tau Using the BaBar Detector

A study of the decay {tau}{sup -} {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}{pi}{sup -} {nu}{sub {tau}} (K{sub S}{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}) using the BABAR detector is presented. Using 124.4 fb{sup -1} of data we measure {Beta}({tau}{sup -} {yields} {bar K}{sup 0}{pi}{sup -}{nu}{sub {tau}}) = (0.830 {+-} 0.005(stat) {+-} 0.042(syst))%, which is the world's most precise measurement to date of this branching ratio, and is consistent with the current world average. This preliminary result, unlike most of the {Beta}({tau}{sup -} {yields} {bar K}{sup 0}{pi}{sup -}{nu}{sub {tau}}) measurements already published, is systematics dominated and so the biggest future improvement to this number should come from reducing the systematic uncertainties in the analysis. A study of the K{pi} mass spectrum, from which the strange (K{pi}) spectral function can be measured, reveals excess contributions above the K*(892) tail at higher K{pi} mass. While in the past this has been thought to be due to K*(892) - K*(1410) interference, we find that the K*(1410), whose branching ratio to K{pi} is approximately 7%, seems insufficient to explain the excess mass observed in the data. Instead, we perform a fit using a K*(892) - K*(1680) interference model and find better agreement. The discrepancy that remains could bemore » due to an s-wave contribution to the interference that is not parameterized in the model used, and/or detector smearing that is not accounted for in our fit. We also attempt to find an s-wave contribution to the K{pi} mass spectrum by searching for an sp-interference effect. While we find a hint that such an effect exists, we have neither the confidence in the statistics nor systematics in the higher K{pi} mass region to announce an observation. We conclude that it would be a worthwhile study to pursue.« less