A circuit contains an inductor of inductance \(L\) and a resistor of resistance \(R\) connected in a single closed loop. At time \(t = 0\), the current in the loop is \(I_0\), and no external voltage source is connected. The current in the circuit decays according to \(I(t) = I_0 e^{-tR/L}\). What is the total thermal energy dissipated in the resistor between \(t = 0\) and time \(t = \tau\), where \(\tau = \dfrac{L}{R}\) is the time constant of the circuit?