Interaction potentials for multiquark states from instantons and other background gauge field configurations

Abstract

We present a simple rule for calculating the contributions to the interaction potentials between constituent particles for a family of multiquark states, due to the presence of a semiclassical gauge field configuration which exists in a single SU(2) subgroup of color SU(3). In multiquark states beyond the baryon we find many-body potential terms. The static (Wilson-loop) limit is sufficient to elucidate the dependence of the potential on the color structure of the multiquark state.