STRONG-COUPLING MODEL FOR STRING BREAKING ON THE LATTICE

A model for SU(n) string breaking on the lattice is formulated using s trong coupling ideas. Although necessarily rather crude, the model giv es an explicit picture of string breaking in the presence of dynamical quarks as a mixing phenomenon that involves the string state and a tw o-meson state. A careful analysis, within the model, of the Wilson loo p shows that the evolution of the mixing angle as a function of separa tion may obscure the expected crossover effect. Lf a sufficiently exte nsive mixing region exists then an appropriate combination of transiti on amplitudes can help in revealing the effect. The sensitivity of the mixing region to the values of the meson energy and the dynamical qua rk mass is explored and an assessment made of the detectibility of str ing breaking in a practical lattice simulation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.