Constraints on Left-Right Symmetric and $E_6$ Superstring Models from the Number of Light Neutrino Species

Abstract

Using the experimental value for the rate $R^{LEP} _{exp}=\Gamma_{inv}/\Gamma_{l\bar l}=5.942\pm 0.016$, we derive constraints on the number of light neutrino species with the invisible width method in the framework of a left-right symmetric model (LRSM) and a $E_6$ superstring model as a function of their respective mixing angles for the neutral vector gauge bosons. Using the above LEP result we get the constraints $-1.6\times 10^{-3}\leq\phi \leq 1.1\times 10^{-3}$ and $-1.3\times 10^{-2}\leq\phi_{E_6} \leq 0.4\times 10^{-2}$, which are stronger than those obtained in previous studies of these models.