Sterile neutrinos in tau lepton decays

Abstract

We study possible contributions of heavy sterile neutrinos $\nu_h$ to the decays $\tau^-\to e^{\pm}(\mu^{\pm})\pi^{\mp}\pi^-$. From the experimental upper bounds on their rates we derive new constraints on the $\nu_h-\nu_{\tau}$ mixing in the mass region $140.5{MeV}\leq m_{\nu_h}\leq 1637$ MeV. We discuss cosmological and astrophysical status of $\nu_h$ in this mass region and compare our constraints with those recently derived by the NOMAD collaboration.