String Breaking in SU(2) Yang Mills Theory with Adjoint Sources

Abstract

We compute the static potential in three-dimensional SU(2) Yang Mills Theory with adjoint sources using numerical simulations. By employing a variational approach involving string and gluelump operators, we obtain clear evidence for string breaking in the adjoint potential. The breaking scale r_b is computed and extrapolated to the continuum limit. The result in units of the scalar glueball mass is r_b*m_G = 10.3 +/- 1.5. We also resolve the structure of higher excitations of the flux-tube and gluelumps. Furthermore we discuss the implications of our findings for the case of the four-dimensional theory.