Spin correlations at the Z peak. A probe to the Z′ mass

Abstract The interactions of a new heavy gauge boson are fixed by its coupling to matter and by its mass and its mixing with the Z 0 . Until now LEP has only constrained the Z′ mixing. However, there is one observable (and only one), the P - and T -odd transverse-normal spin correlation in ττ production, which fully and independently of its mixing measures the Z′ mass at the Z peak. For M z′ ∼ 130 GeV the Z′ contribution to this observable is typically of the same order as the standard model contribution.