CONSTRAINTS FROM LEPTON UNIVERSALITY AT THE Z PEAK ON UNIFIED THEORIES

We suggest the use of a universality-breaking observable based on lepton asymmetries as derived from the left-right asymmetry and the $\tau$ polarization at the $Z$ peak, which can efficiently constrain the parameter space of unified theories. The new observable is complementary to the leptonic partial width differences and it depends critically on the chirality of a possible non-universal $Z$-boson coupling to like-flavour leptons. The LEP/SLC potential of probing universality violation is discussed in representative low-energy extensions of the Standard Model (SM) that could be derived by supersymmetric grand unified theories, such as the SM with left-handed and/or right-handed neutral isosinglets, the left-right symmetric model, and the minimal supersymmetric SM.