Colored lepton mass bounds from pp collider data

Abstract If leptons are composite particles containing colored preons one expects the existence of color octet fermions with quantum numbers similar to those of ordinary leptons. Such “colored leptons” are expected to decay predominantly into a lepton and a gluon. Comparing the present CERN collider data with the calculated cross section for colored lepton pair production via strong interactions we derive a lower limit on the mass of neutral colored leptons of 55–80 GeV. The colored partner μ 8 of the muon must be heavier than about 110 GeV.