MEASUREMENT OF THE INCLUSIVE BRANCHING FRACTION TAU--]NU-TAU-PI-PI-0 + NEUTRAL MESON(S)

We measure an inclusive branching fraction of (13.9 +- 2.0/sub -2.2//sup +1.9/)% for the decay tau/sup -/..--> nu../sub tau/..pi../sup -/..pi../sup 0/+nh/sup 0/ (ngreater than or equal to1), where h/sup 0/ is a ..pi../sup 0/ or an eta. The data sample, obtained with the time-projection chamber detector facility at the SLAC e/sup +/e/sup -/ storage ring PEP, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 72 pb/sup -1/ at 29-GeV center-of-mass energy. The measured branching fraction is somewhat greater than the theoretical prediction and, with errors taken into account, could resolve the present difference between the inclusive and the sum of the exclusive tau/sup +- / branching fractions into one charged prong.