Interaction Potential Between Heavy Q(Q)Over-Bar In A Color Octet Configuration In The Qgp From A Study Of Hybrid Wilson Loops

We investigate the interaction between a heavy quark-antiquark pair in color octet configuration in a gluon plasma. We calculate nonperturbatively the effective thermal potential for hybrid states with static Q (Q) over bar octet and an adjoint gluonic source. We compare the results for two different gluonic sources, which lead to completely different potentials in the confined phase. We find that they show identical thermal potentials to large distances, and interpret this potential as the interaction potential between the static Q and the (Q) over bar in a color octet configuration. We present results for the potential in gluon plasma for moderately high temperatures greater than or similar to 2T(c). The implications of our result are discussed.