Determination of the number of light neutrino species from single photon production at LEP

A determination of the number of light neutrino families performed by measuring the cross section of single photon production in \ee\ collision near the \Zo\ resonance is reported. From an integrated luminosity of $100~\mathrm{pb^{-1}}$, collected during the years 1991--94, we have observed 2091 single photon candidates with an energy above 1~\GeV\ in the polar angular region $45^\circ \theta_\gamma 135^\circ$. From a maximum likelihood fit to the single photon cross section, the \Zo\ decay width into invisible particles is measured to be $\Ginv = 498 \pm 12 \mathrm{(stat)} \pm 12 \mathrm{(sys)~MeV}$. Using the Standard Model couplings of neutrinos to the \Zo, the number of light neutrino species is determined to be $N_\nu = 2.98 \pm 0.07 (\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.07 (\mathrm{sys}).$