Two- and three-body color flux tubes in the chromodielectric model

Using the framework of the chromodielectric model we perform an analysis of color electric flux tubes in mesonlike q(q) over bar and baryonlike qqq quark configurations. We discuss the Abelian color structure of the model and point out a symmetry in color space as a remnant of the SU(3) symmetry of QCD. The generic features of the model are discussed by varying the model parameters. We fix these parameters by reproducing the string tension tau=980 MeV/fm and the transverse width rho=0.35 fm of the q(q) over bar flux tube obtained in lattice calculations. We use a bag constant B-1/4=(240-260) MeV, a glueball mass m(g)=(1000-1700) MeV, and a strong coupling constant C(F)alpha(s)=0.2-0.3. We show that the asymptotic string profile of an infinitely long flux tube is already reached for q(q) over bar separations Rgreater than or equal to1.0 fm. A connection to the dual color superconductor is made by extracting a magnetic current from the model equations and a qualitative agreement between the two descriptions of confinement is shown. In the study of the qqq system we observe a Delta-like geometry for the color electric fields and a Delta-like geometry in the scalar fields both in the energy density distribution and in the corresponding potentials. The resulting total qqq potential is described neither by the Delta-picture nor by the Y-picture alone.