Evidence for large $α_s$ in the IR from the $Υ(1D)-χ_b(1P)$ and $χ_b(2P)-χ_b(1P)$ splittings

The $b\bar b$ spectrum is calculated with the use of a relativistic Hamiltonian where the gluon-exchange between a quark and an antiquark is taken as in background perturbation theory. We observed that the splittings $\Delta_1= \Upsilon({\rm 1D})-\chi_b({\rm 1P})$ and $\Delta_2 = \chi_b({\rm 2P})-\chi_b({\rm 1P})$ are very sensitive to the QCD constant $\Lambda_V(n_f)$ which occurs in the Vector scheme, and good agreement with the experimental data is obtained for $\Lambda_V(2$-loop, $n_f=5)= 325\pm 10$ MeV which corresponds to the conventional $\Lambda_{\bar{MS}} (2-$loop, $n_f=5)= 238\pm 7$ MeV, $\alpha_s(2-$loop, $M_Z)=0.1189\pm 0.0005,$ and a large freezing value of the background coupling: $\alpha_{\rm crit} (2$-loop, $q^2=0)=\alpha_{\rm crit} (2$-loop, $r\to \infty)=0.58\pm 0.02$. If the asymptotic freedom behavior of the coupling is neglected and an effective freezing coupling $\alpha_{\rm static}=const$ is introduced, as in the Cornell potential, then precise agreement with $\Delta_1({\rm exp})$ and $\Delta_2({\rm exp})$ can be reached for the rather large value $\alpha_{\rm static} =0.43\pm 0.02$