MODEL-INDEPENDENT TESTS OF LEPTON CONTACT INTERACTIONS IN BHABHA AND MØLLER SCATTERING AT A POLARIZED LINEAR COLLIDER

Abstract

We discuss the sensitivity to electron-electron contact-interactions of the processes e+e- → e+e- and e-e- → e-e- at a Linear Collider running in both e+e- and e-e- modes, with both longitudinally polarized beams. We emphasize the crucial role of polarized cross section measurements in deriving model-independent constraints on the new coupling constants, and the complementarity of the two processes as regards the different chiralities involved. We assess the reach on the values of contact-couplings expected at the planned Linear Collider.