Determination of the Number of Light Neutrino Species

The cross-section for e+e− → hadrons in the vicinity of the Z boson peak has been measured with the ALEPH detector at the CERN Large Electron Positron collider, LEP. Measurements of the Z mass, Mz = (91.174±0.070) GeV, the Z width Γz=(2.68±0.15) GeV, and of the peak hadronic cross-section, σhadpeak=(29.3±1.2) nb, are presented. With the constraints of the standard electroweak model, the number of light neutrino species is found to be Nv=3.27±0.30. this results rules out of the possibility of a fourth type of light neutrino at 98% CL.