Tests of quark–hadron duality in τ-decays

An exhaustive number of QCD finite energy sum rules for τ-decay together with the latest updated ALEPH data is used to test the assumption of global duality. Typical checks are the absence of the dimension d = 2 condensate, the equality of the gluon condensate extracted from vector or axial vector spectral functions, the Weinberg sum rules, the chiral condensates of dimensions d = 6 and d = 8, as well as the extraction of some low-energy parameters of chiral perturbation theory. Suitable pinched linear integration kernels are introduced in the sum rules in order to suppress potential quark–hadron duality violations and experimental errors. We find no compelling indications of duality violations in hadronic τ-decay in the kinematic region above s ≃ 2.2 GeV2 for these kernels.