Ab Initio Calculation of Finite Temperature Charmonium Potentials

The interquark potential in charmonium states is calculated for the first time in both the zero and non-zero temperature phases from a first-principles lattice QCD calculation. Simulations with two dynamical quark flavours were used with temperatures T in the range 0.4 T_c \lesssim T \lesssim 1.7 T_c, where T_c is the deconfining temperature. The correlators of point-split operators were analysed to gain spatial information about the charmonium states. A method, introduced by the HAL QCD collaboration and based on the Schroedinger equation, was applied to obtain the interquark potential. We find a clear temperature dependence, with the central potential becoming flatter (more screened) as the temperature increases.