Measurement of the $K_{S}$ mean lifetime from $\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ and $\pi^{0}\pi^{0}$ decays using $K_{L}$ decays to determine the acceptance

A precision measurement of the K-S mean lifetime has been performed by comparing, in the same experimental setup, the distributions of two-pion decays of neutral kaons produced by high energy proton-beryllium interactions in two targets at a relative distance variable between 112 and 160 m. The value obtained combining the results from pi(+)pi(-) and pi(0) pi(0) decays is tau(S) = (0.8971 +/- 0.0021) 10(-10) s.