Hybrid meson energies are calculated in the static quark limit with the dynamical quark model (DQM). In the DQM, transverse gluons are represented as effective constituents with a dynamically generated mass. Hybrid masses are determined within the Tamm-Dancoff approximation for the resulting relativistic Salpeter equation. Although the general features of the adiabatic potential surfaces correspond with lattice data, the results disagree on level orderings. Similar problems appear to exist in all constituent glue models of hybrids. We conclude that constituent gluons do not accurately represent soft gluonic degrees of freedom. The steps necessary to correct this deficiency are discussed.

• Received 21 July 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.59.014035