Effects of new leptons in Electroweak Precision Data

We obtain limits on generic vector-like leptons at the TeV scale from electroweak precision tests. These limits are complementary to the ones obtained from lepton flavour violating processes. In general, the quality of the global electroweak fit is comparable to the one for the Standard Model. In the case of an extra neutrino singlet mixing with the muon or electron, the global fit allows for a relatively large Higgs mass (M_H < 260 GeV at 90 % C.L.), thus relaxing the tension between the direct LEP limit and the Standard Model fit.
Comment: 33 pages, 24 figures; updated with new m_t value, with minor changes. Extra references