$Q{\bar Q}$ from [Eq. (\[el\])]{} with $\alpha = 1/2$ and $\beta=1$. The units and the same setting as in Fig. 1, except that the contribution from $f(p)$ has been included.](Fig4.eps){width="2.5in"}

Summary
=======

We have calculated the distribution of the longitudinal chromo-electric field in the presence of static $Q{\bar Q}$ and $QQQ$ sources using a variational model for the ground state wave functional. Despite this wave functional having no string-like correlations a flux tube like picture does emerge. In particular the on-axis energy density of the $Q{\bar Q}$ system behaves as $b_c/R^2$ for large inter-quark separation, $R$ and the field falls off like $b_c R^2/x^4$ at large distances from the center of mass of the $Q{\bar Q}$ system, $x$. This is weaker than in the Abelian case ($\sim R^2/x^6$) and implies that moments of the average transverse spread of the tube, defined as proportional to $\langle |x_\perp|^n \E^2(z,x_\perp) \rangle$, are finite for $n<2$ only. Thus there is no finite correlation length for the longitudinal component of the chromo-electric field, as expected for the state which does not take into account screening of the Coulomb line by the transverse gluons (flux tube). This also leads to large Van der Waals forces, which 