't Hooft and Wilson loop ratios in the QCD plasma

The spatial 't Hooft loop measuring the electric flux and the spatial Wilso nloop measuring the magnetic flux are analyzed in hot SU(N) gauge theory. B oth display area laws. On one hand the tension of the 't Hooft loop is pert urbatively calculable, in the same sense as the pressure. We show that the O(g(3)) contribution is absent. The ratio of multi-charged 't Hooft loops h ave a remarkably simple dependence on the charge, true up to, but not inclu ding, O(g(4)). This dependence follows also from a simple model of free scr eened colour charges. On the other hand the surface tension of the Wilsonlo op is non-perturbative. But in a model of screened free monopoles at very h igh temperature the known area law follows. The density of these monopoles starts to contribute to O(g(6)) to the pressure. The ratio of the multichar ged Wilson loops is calculable and identical to that of the 't Hooft loops. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.