$\tau$ decays to kaons from ALEPH and physics implications

In this talk, preliminary updated results for one-prong tau decays with kaons in ALEPH are presented. Then all ALEPH measurements of branching ratios of tau decays involving kaons are summarized. Mass spectra for different isospin states are studied to address the relevant decay dynamics and also used to separate the vector and axial-vector current contributions. Agreement with isospin symmetry is observed among the different final states. Through the CVC hypothesis, the spectral function for the KK pi mode is compared with the corresponding cross annihilation, yielding an axial-vector fraction of (94/sub -8//sup +6/) 186584n this mode. Finally, the branching ratio for all strange tau decays is determined to be B( tau /sup -/ to X/sup -/(S=-1) nu /sub tau /)=(28.6+or-1.2)*10/sup -3/, and the corresponding S=-1 spectral function is derived from the measured mass spectra as well. (24 refs).