Flux-tube Structure, Sum Rules and Beta-functions in SU(2)

Action and energy flux-tube profiles are computed, in SU(2) with beta=2.4,2.5, for two quarks up to 1 fm apart and for which the colour fields are in their ground state (A_1g) and the first (E_u) and higher (A'_1g) excited gluonic states. When these profiles are integrated over all space, a scaling comparison is made between the beta=2.4 and 2.5 data. Using sum rules, these integrated forms also permit an estimate to be made of generalised beta-functions giving b(2.4)=-0.312(15), b(2.5)=-0.323(9), f(2.4)=0.65(1) and f(2.5)=0.68(1). When the profiles are integrated only over planes transverse to the interquark line and assuming underlying string features, scaling comparisons are again made near the centres of the interquark line for the largest interquark distances. For the A'_{1g} case, some of the profiles exhibit a 'dip-like' structure characteristic of the Isgur-Paton model.