Search for TeV strings and new phenomena in Bhabha scattering at CERN LEP2

A combined analysis of the data on Bhabha scattering at center-of- mass energies 183 and 189 GeV from the CERN LEP experiments ALEPH, L3, and OPAL is performed to search for effects of TeV strings in quantum gravity models with large extra dimensions. No statistically significant deviations from the standard model expectations are observed and a lower limit on the string scale M/sub S/=0.631 TeV at 95% confidence level is derived. The data are used to set lower limits on the scale of contact interactions ranging from 4.2 to 16.2 TeV depending on the model. In a complementary analysis we derive an upper limit on the electron size of 2.8*10/sup -19/ m at 95% confidence level. (24 refs).