On non perturbative corrections to the potential for heavy quarks

We discuss non perturbative corrections to the Coulomb-like potential of heavy quarks at short distances. We consider both the standard framework provided by infrared renormalons and the assumption that confinement does not allow weak fields to penetrate the vacuum. In the former case the leading correction at short distances turns out to be quadratic in r for static quarks. In the latter case we fmd a potential which is proportional to r as r --> 0. We point out that similar effects arise due to a new kind of non perturbative correction proportional to 1/Q(2), which is unaccounted for by the operator product expansion and which was recently discussed within a different framework. Phenomenological implications of the linear correction to the potential are briefly reviewed. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.