Study of Three-ProngτDecays and Determination of theA1Parameters

Abstract
We report the results of a study of the three-prong decay mode of the τ in data taken with the DELCO detector at the SLAC e+e storage ring PEP. We determine the total three-prong branching ratio to be B(3)=(12.1±0.5±1.2)% and the exclusive branching ratios B(τπ+ππ±ν)=(5.0±0.1)% and B(τπ+ππ±π0ν)=(6.0±1.2)%, respectively. The data with three charged pions allow for the determination of the mass and width of the A1 resonance as MA1=1056±20±15 MeV and ΓA1=476120+132±54 MeV.