STATIC QUARK POTENTIALS IN QUANTUM-GRAVITY

We present potentials between static charges from simulations of quant um gravity coupled to an SU(2) gauge field on 6(3) x 4 and 8(3) x 4 si mplicial lattices. The action consists of the gravitational term given by Regge's discrete version of the Euclidean Einstein action and a ga uge term given by the Wilson action, with coupling constants m(p)(2) a nd beta respectively, In the well-defined phase of the gravity sector where geometrical expectation values are stable, we study the correlat ions of Polyakov loops and extract the corresponding potentials betwee n a source and sink separated by a distance R, We compare potentials o n a flat simplicial lattice with those on a fluctuating Regge skeleton . In the confined phase, the potential has a linear form while in the deconfined phase, a screened Coulombic behavior is found, Our results indicate that quantum gravitational effects do not destroy confinement due to non-abelian gauge fields.