Constraints on the W-R mass and CP violation in left-right models

We update the constraints an the right-handed W-R gauge boson mass, mixing angle zeta with the left-handed W-L gauge boson, and other parameters in general left-right symmetric models with different mechanisms of CP violation. Constraints mostly independent of any assumption on the quark sector are obtained from a reanalysis of muon decay data. The best chi(2) fit of the data gives g(R)/g(L)=0.94+/-0.09 for the ratio of right to left gauge couplings, with M(WR)greater than or equal to 485 GeV and \zeta\less than or equal to 0.0327. Fixing g(L)-g(R) (in particular for manifestly left-right symmetric models), we obtain M(WR)greater than or similar to 549 GeV and \zeta\greater than or similar to 0.0333. Estimates of the left-right hadronic matrix elements in the neutral kaon system and their uncertainties are revised using large N-c and chiral perturbation theory arguments. With explicitly given assumptions on the long-distance (Delta=1)(2) contributions to the K-L-K-S mass difference, lower bounds on M-WR are obtained. With the same assumptions, one also gets strong upper bounds from the CP-violating parameter epsilon(K), for most of the parameter space of left-right models where the right-handed third family does not contribute in CP-violating quantities. For manifestly left-right symmetric models the lower bound obtained is M(WR)greater than or similar to(1.6(-0.7)(+1.2)) TeV.