Test of the Conserved Vector Current Hypothesis in T=1/2 Mirror Transitions and New Determination of |Vud|

The V{ud} element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix has traditionally been determined from the analysis of data in nuclear superallowed 0;{+}-->0;{+} transitions, neutron decay, and pion beta decay. After providing a new test of the conserved vector current hypothesis, we present here a new independent determination of |V{ud}| from a set of five T=1/2 nuclear mirror transitions. The extracted value, |V{ud}|=0.9719+/-0.0017, is at 1.2 combined standard deviations from the value obtained from superallowed 0;{+}-->0;{+} transitions and has a precision comparable to the value obtained from neutron decay experiments.